Molly & The Animal Parade
by Lucy Kay
Summary: Luna on drums, Kathy on bass, Candace on keys, and Molly on mic. A side hobby transforms into an unexpected tour and a career opportunity. MAP is about to take Flower Bud City by storm! Slice of life, romance, humor, and angst is ahead for our Castanet girls' rise to fame. Join the parade! Couples galore. Sugar, spice, and fluff is nice. Picture is not mine.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon, nor am I associated with any of its affiliates. This is fan-made, not for profit fan fiction.

Why, hello, there! I know my author's notes at the start of a new story are usually rather long, but there's really not much to say about this one. I was inspired by the theme song for Josie and the Pussy Cats. Because I guess I work like that. Also, this story is kind of an AU. Barely. Because there's a city involved.

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoys the ride! It'll be a decently long one, but I hope you stick with me and help see it through. Enjoy! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>The ice cream dripped dangerously close to the edge of the cone. The vanilla rolled in the heat, falling on the cobblestones and splattering her leg. The stray white cat licked the cream with a rough tongue.<p>

Molly giggled, rubbing the cat's ears and tilting her ice cream a bit so it could have more. Though a stray, the fur was soft and smooth as she stroked its back. The cat hummed a happy purr as it lapped up the stones baking in the summer heat.

"I bet they have cable."

The brunette looked up above her, humor written in her expression. The peachy muss of sloppy hair had his elbows propped up on the railing above Molly's head. Though it wasn't time for his shift yet, he was still wearing his navy apron.

"Over there," Chase repeated, indicating the sea. "I bet they have cable with all kinds of channels for everything. You can just turn on your TV set, and you'd instantly have thousands of channels to browse through."

"Thousands?" Molly asked the important questions, licking her melting ice cream faster. Her toes dangled in the warm salt water that surrounded the peninsula. If she dipped her feet any further, the ocean would've been chillier than her vanilla ice cream.

"Thousands," Chase repeated with a sigh, shaking his head. He rested his chin in his palm. "At least… a hundred of them would be cooking shows. I bet I could get a spot on one of 'em. Someday…"

"A hundred?" Molly asked again.

Chase's face deadpanned as he looked down at his friend. "You're not even listening, are you?"

"No…" Molly shook her head slowly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She watched the wispy white clouds on the horizon. Where the city smog started. "I wouldn't say that. _Half_-listening, maybe."

"Don't you want to know what's over there?" Chase demanded, standing up straighter. "Go and see for yourself?"

"Buy a ferry ticket, you ninny," Molly shrugged, dripping drops for the cat to attempt to catch. It pawed at her hands in annoyance, wanting her to hold the cone down to its level.

Chase grumbled, but he wasn't deterred. His eyes brightened. "You know, maybe I will. Save up my money, pack my stuff, and just… leave."

"No one's stopping you," she egged on with another shrug.

"You'd miss me."

Molly laughed, finally letting the cat have her cone. She laid the whole sticky mess on the pavement for the very happy feline, propping herself up on her palms and craning her neck backwards. "You look funny from this angle. Your whole face is upside down."

"You're such an idiot," Chase said in all seriousness.

Though Molly wouldn't admit it, she could appreciate Chase's enthusiasm for his ambitions. It was something she lacked half the time running her little farm on the hill. But when she'd spend a few minutes with Chase, she was reminded of the greater things in life. The adventures, and the opportunities, and the 'whole wide world is your oyster' speeches. It gave her the drive she needed to keep dreaming of something bigger on the horizon. She was sure Chase could see it. Maybe one day she'd see it, too.

Molly smiled at the bottom of his chin high above her. "You still look funny."

Chase's unamused purple eyes connected with hers before quick hands grabbed her from around the middle, pressuring a squeak of surprise out of her.

"Surprise!" Kathy smiled, sitting down beside Molly. She noted the cat. "Wasting your ice cream?"

"I was done with it anyways," Molly said, giving the cat another good scratch. "What's up, Kathy?"

"Phew!" The blonde girl ignored the question, pulling at her blue button-up shirt and fanning herself. "It's so hot today! I wish you saved that ice cream for me instead."

"Oh, boo," Molly frowned. "I'll get another, and we can share it."

"Why don't you two just move in together?" Chase suggested wryly.

Kathy put her hands on her hips, her long ponytail swinging as she glared up at the cocky chef. "You'd like to see that, wouldn't you?"

There wasn't much for Chase to say to that. But his light blush betrayed him, giving the wit winner award to Kathy.

"So, what's up, Kathy? You don't like Chase, so you don't normally bother me when I'm around him," Molly commented.

Chase's jaw dropped in faux shock. His slack body language said anything but. "Kathy! And I thought we were friends."

"It's not true!" Kathy defended to Molly. "I just have to work with him all the time. You'd get it if you were in my boots."

Molly rolled her eyes, giving her friend a playful shove.

"Oh!" This action seemed to remind Kathy why she was there. "Luna sent me for you. Says we've got to meet her at the bar tonight for some _plans_."

"Plans?" Molly's eyebrows rose. "Well, if it's Luna, it's gonna be good."

"And Papa says to get your sorry ass in the kitchen, Chase," Kathy said, helping Molly to her feet as she stood as well. "We're ready to open in an hour."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way…" Chase grumbled. He sighed and dusted off his hands from the salt-stained rail.

"It's hard to keep track of the time in summer," Molly said, staring at the bright sky. The sun wouldn't set for another few hours, but it would be time for dinner soon. "I think it's my favorite season."

"Come on, let's go see what Luna wants!" Kathy prodded Molly to make her giggle. "I'm hungrier than a race horse."

"You _are_ a race horse," Chase said under his breath as the trio began to walk towards the bridge back into town together.

"I'll take it as a compliment, cheeky," Kathy glowered, taking Molly around the shoulders with an arm hug. She squeezed her closer. "Mm~ This is a good day for me. Despite Chase."

Molly laughed, giving Chase a sympathetic look. He gave her a small smile in return. "It _is_ a nice day," Molly turned to take one last look at the bright ocean behind them. She bet the people over there _did_ have cable. More cable than they knew what to do with.


	2. Chapter Two

Thanks for the review, CAPJHMPAgirl! That was super sweet of you to jump on board so early. :D

This chapter came late because out of the three stories I'm juggling at the moment, this one seems to get dropped the most. Probably because it's not off the ground yet. I'll work harder to update this more often!

P.S. If anyone reading this read my story _The Swan Maiden_, you'd be a little more prepared with the homance between Molly and Vivi. In this story, Kathy and Molly and a hundred times worse. Just a heads up – it's not romantic, I swear. xD

Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>"A party?"<p>

Luna downed the rest of her water and grinned, swiveling on the bar stool. "Yeah! I don't want to waste my summer, and I can't stand the heat. It's always frizzing my hair and making me sweat out of my clothes."

Molly had to agree that the heat could be annoying, but she preferred it to the cold. Bundling up and hiding from chills. She watched her friend primp her pink pigtails, adjusting their flowers. Molly forked another bite of the vegetable stir fry on her hot plate. "Who do you think would come?"

"Well, all of you _better_," Luna huffed indignantly.

Her incredibly shy sister Candace was poking her straw around her water glass, not hungry enough to order any of the bar's entrées. Her blue hair blocked out her expression, but Molly felt that Luna's party idea was a bust for her.

"I think it sounds like a hoot!" Kathy chimed, running up to the counter and laying her tray down. She was slightly out of breath from waitressing the busy room herself. She panted and parted her bangs from her eyes. "I'm sure Papa will think so, too. As long as the bar's open and people are willing to pay a few coins."

"Your daddy's okay with whatever you do," Molly teased light-heartedly. "I can't remember a time you didn't get your way."

"Well, how about right now? Three of the marinated fish, Chase! Hurry up!" Kathy hollered into the kitchen.

Chase soon appeared from the corner, carefully balancing three hot plates of the bar's most popular dish. Kathy loaded up her tray and buzzed off like a worker bee.

"This stir fry's good, Chase!" Molly complimented as he cleared the counter of fallen crumbs. "It could use a little more pizzazz though."

"What do you want me to do?" He snapped. Chase couldn't stand negative criticism, or at least he dealt with it very poorly. But he always asked for honest opinions on the food he worked hard on. "Throw confetti on it for you?"

"Flavor confetti would be great, thanks," Molly smiled sweetly, her elbows propped up on the table.

Chase scowled and went back to work on the grill.

"You sure like to push his buttons," Luna commented, finishing her shortcake. Molly was convinced the girl's sweet tooth would be her downfall. One day she wouldn't fit into any of her adorable, lacey dresses, and her world would end.

"He makes it so easy!" Molly purposefully said it a decibel too loud. She went back to her food, nibbling away as she thought about this party they were apparently having. "So when do you want this party to start?"

"Hm," Luna wrinkled her nose in thought. Molly wanted to squish her cheeks and tell her how cute she was, but Luna hated being treated as a child – when it wasn't convenient for her. "Well, the Summer Festival is coming up in a couple days, so we'll have to plan around it."

"Before is too short of notice," Molly said. She leaned back on her stool to look around Luna and address Candace. "Hey, Candace, what do you think we should do at this party?"

"Oh, um…" Candace bashfully tucked some of stray hair behind her ear that had come loose from her pair of braids. "Well, there has to be food…"

"Cake!" Luna nodded, rattling off items on her fingers. "Cookies, pies, fruit – sweet things! Nothing too heavy or serious. Fun stuff."

"Maybe Chase could cater for us," Molly remarked as the chef passed by to place another ready entrée out. Kathy zoomed by and took it straight from his hand with a quick 'thanks.'

"Cater what?" Chase asked, finding a good place to stop as the orders slowed. He leaned against the counter in front of the three girls. "I don't work for free."

Molly stuck out her tongue. "We're planning a party! For here at the Brass Bar."

"When?" Chase questioned, looking doubtful this bogus plan of theirs would ever come to light.

"Soon after the Summer Festival," Luna piped up, haughtily crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. "It's going to be an indoor thing. None of the nasty heat involved."

"And we're inviting only the coolest people," Molly lied, playing with her food and trying to build a pyramid out of broccoli tops. "So ask if Luke and Owen are free for us, okay?"

"You're going to celebrate the indoors? Well, knock yourselves out," Chase rolled his eyes, going back to the kitchen after taking Molly's plate from her.

"Hey! I wasn't done yet!" Molly whined.

"Yes, you were," he argued, pitching the rest of her meal into the garbage.

Molly knew she had made one sass too many if Chase was taking food from her. She grumbled to herself, holding her chin in her hands.

"Phew!" Kathy breathed, resting at the bar next to Molly. "What a night! So when's this party happening?"

"After the Summer Festival," Luna reiterated, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "We're having cakes and sweets, and there should be plenty of dancing."

"Dancing…?" Candace mumbled from her corner, her heart falling to her stomach woefully.

"And only the coolest people are allowed to come, so that means Chase can go bugger off," Molly added, still miffed she didn't get to finish her broccoli pyramid.

"I'll dance with ya, Candace!" Kathy blew a kiss to the girl.

"What if I want to dance with Candace?" Molly asked, perking up considerably.

"Well, I called dibs first," Kathy argued playfully.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'd fight you for her," Molly held up her fists.

"Bring it on!"

At this point, Candace was smiling at her friends' antics to cheer her up. With these girls, she somehow always felt included. Luna hopped off her stool and grabbed her older sister by the hand. "Come on, Candace, we don't need them."

"Aw!" Molly gaped angrily as the sisters left the bar. "Well, come up with your own party ideas, you stick in the mud!"

"You guys are weird! We're leaving!" Luna called over her shoulder.

"You didn't even pay!" Kathy shouted across the room.

"Can't hear you~!" Luna giggled as she dragged her sister into the night, and they disappeared.

"Great," Molly said, digging in her bag. She laid enough money on the table for her meal and the sewing sisters. "Luna owes me."

Kathy laughed, picking up their discarded plates and cups. "You say that every time!"

"My house later?" Molly asked, jumping from her bar stool and brushing off her skirt. "So we can party plan and gossip about Chase."

Chase was in earshot for that comment, so he whipped his head around to glare at her, taking the dirty dishes from Kathy.

Kathy giggled again, her green eyes shining. "Sure thing, doll."

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><p>Molly flopped onto her bed, staring up at her ceiling that went straight to the wooden beams supporting her roof. "He is just… so gorgeous."<p>

Kathy rolled her eyes, a pad of paper in her lap loaded with party ideas they had come up with. She was cross-legged next to Molly sharing her bed, both girls in their pajamas. Her bare foot kicked the hot blanket away, and Molly's leg in the process. "You're such a groupie."

The brunette farmer stared at the poster next to her bed behind Kathy's head. Her favorite musician, Mikhail, was elegantly posing with his violin. Not only was he a legend, coming from a small town not too far from their home in Castanet, but he was lovely to look at with his sandy hair, soft features, alluring eyes, and sophisticated glasses. There was a hint of mystery about the man – he turned superstar seemingly overnight for his ability to play the violin like _an angel_. He had thousands and thousands of fans, and Molly was one of many who was convinced he was the man of her dreams.

Molly hugged her pillow close and let out a sigh. "It's just so unfair he's so far away, playing to millions at concerts, and in a new place every day. Never knowing who I am."

A sharp rap on Molly's head with the yellow notepad was enough to bop her out of her fantasies. "Come on, we're party planning here! Quit yer drooling!"

Molly laughed and sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Okay! So what else can we do at a party? Ooo, maybe we can get a karaoke thing started!"

"Steal some of the stage back from Selena; I like it," Kathy smirked, scribbling the idea down. Looking up to see Molly's reprimanding frown, she smiled wide. "Oh, you know I love her!"

Molly thought for a while in silence. It was difficult pushing her celebrity crush on Mikhail to the backburner so she could come up with activities. _It all really depended on who would show up._ Knowing Luna, she'd rather have a garden party set with full tea service, but this was a summer gathering at the local bar. And it was right after a rowdy festival full of fishing contests and fireworks, so everyone would be energized and looking for action. Which made it difficult keeping the party indoors…

"What if we opened the doors?" Molly asked.

Kathy cocked an eyebrow, her light cowgirl accent coming out when she was confused or speaking quickly. "What do ya mean?"

"Picture this," Molly spread her arms to create the picture with her hands. Kathy squinted at her demonstration. "We've got the bar here – full of patrons and chatty people taking a break from the dancing happening over here. We've got the stage set up for music and karaoke up front. There's plenty of floor space because all of the tables and chairs are _outside!_"

Kathy interrupted with excited claps, making a quick sketch and note of the plan with the pencil.

Molly continued in equal excitement, kneeling on her mattress. "The doors are propped open so we have double the room, and people can enjoy the summer night and get some air moving through the inevitably super-hot and sweaty dance floor. Everybody wins!"

"Great thinking!" Kathy nodded. "We can keep the food lined up inside by the doors, so no one has to climb and fight their way through the dance floor. Besides, it's closer to the tables outside!"

"Right!" Molly agreed happily. She snapped her fingers and leapt from her bed, checking her calendar. There were notes written all over it with dates of festivals and events. She smiled in victory. "I knew it! Owen's birthday's the day after the Summer Festival. Think we could make it a surprise party?"

"For his twenty-third?" Kathy was grateful Molly didn't tease her for the fact that she knew.

"Why not? It's more of a surprise that way," she shrugged. "I think it could be really fun! We can even get a big birthday cake. I wonder if Chase would make it?"

"I'm sure he will," Kathy nodded, doodling on the paper. She fondly thought about how sweet and simple Molly was. She knew every person's birthday in town. Mind, the town was small, but even though Kathy had lived here her whole life, she couldn't tell when so-and-so would turn fifty or when a special anniversary was coming up. Molly could, and she moved in with her parents when she was a teenager.

"What are you thinking about?" Molly asked, crawling back onto her bed and settling into the covers.

"Nothing," Kathy shrugged, tossing the notepad and pencil on the floor. She snuggled into the sheets, not feeling like covering up much with the summer heat lingering through the screen windows.

Since Kathy had come when the bar was closed and cleaned up after one, it was nearing the time when Molly would have to wake up and take care of her cow and crops. The farmer let out a yawn and hugged her pillow tight, Kathy finding a comfortable spot next to her after leaning over and turning off the lamp.

"Night, Kathy~" Molly sang, her voice musical and airy in the dark.

"Night, girly," Kathy sang back. She listened to the crickets and bullfrogs outside, chirping and humming in the dewy morning. It wasn't long before she sighed and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

Thanks for the criticism, Accidentally the Whole Fanfic! I was dying of laughter after those song suggestions. xD They need to slow motion dive for each other in that first one. The second one is t.A.T.u, which is explanation enough. xD Thanks for that! Still laughing, oh, jeez.

Thanks for reading and following and reviewing and all that jazz you fun people do. :3

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

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><p><em>Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock!<em>

Molly swayed back and forth on her heels, patiently waiting for an answer. She could hear footsteps approaching on the other side, but the door didn't open. Instead, knocking came from inside.

_Knock, knock!_

"Chase!" Molly laughed at his response to her rapping at his door. "Open up, I've got big news!"

The door swung open, revealing a casually dressed man standing over her with a sly expression.

"Whoa, who are you?" Molly paled, stepping back a bit.

Chase's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What? What are you—?"

"Oh!" Molly interjected, a smirk forming on her lips as she sized him up. "I didn't recognize you without that stupid apron."

"Do you _want_ the door slammed in your face?" Chase asked, the threat all too real.

Molly gallantly stepped past him, entering his house that smelled entirely too much of citrus. She put her hands on her hips and looked around at the sparse décor. "Hm. You haven't dusted since I was here."

"That was two days ago…" Chase grumbled, closing the door with his foot.

"What, do you think hygiene isn't a daily thing?" Molly reprimanded. It didn't seem to bother her anyways as she threw herself onto his sofa stomach first. Her face was buried in the cushion. "I need your help!"

"You're going to have to ask me, not the pillow," Chase said, sitting on the arm closest to her.

Molly lifted her head. "Can you bake a birthday cake for Owen?"

"Owen?" His face contorted angrily. "Why would I make a cake for Owen? You make it!"

"It's for the party!" Molly explained, finally sitting up like a proper human being. She fixed the tiny ponytail at the top of her head that was mussed by the couch. "I just got back from Sonata Tailor's, and Luna's agreed that the party can be a surprise party for Owen's twenty-third birthday. It gives us an excuse to gather everyone for fun."

"When is it?" Chase asked with a sigh. A cake that big would take some time. If it was meant to feed the whole town – which seemed to be the case.

"Tomorrow?" Molly smiled sheepishly, holding her sneakers as she sat cross-legged.

"Tomorrow?!" Chase groaned. He shook his head, quickly moving to his kitchen. "There's no way I could have it ready in time."

"It doesn't have to be that big," Molly peeked over the back of the couch, watching as Chase roamed his fridge for a snack. "We're going to have tons of other desserts, so it just needs to have his name on it. It can be a cupcake!"

Chase turned around, trying not to laugh. "A cupcake?"

"Well, maybe a bit bigger than that," Molly admitted, turning around to face the wall. She heard the refrigerator door close behind her, but she was focusing on the vague pictures on the wall. There were beaches and cityscapes and mountains. It was like Chase couldn't make up his mind which he liked best, so he just settled on having them all. Though she couldn't picture Chase living in the mountains wearing lederhosen, the other two spots seemed plausible.

Chase sat down beside her with an open Tupperware container of fruit salad. To her disappointment, he only had one fork. She watched in jealousy as he popped a chunk of pineapple in his mouth. "If I make this cake, it's going to be an orange cake."

"Why an orange cake?" Molly asked, only half-listening as she stared at the cold treat.

"Because I have all of the ingredients for an orange cake, and Owen's not going to eat it anyways," Chase said, pointing out the obvious.

Molly fell back against the couch in defeat. "That's right…! Owen doesn't like sweets… Hey, do you think you can make it alcoholic? He likes cocktails, and those are pretty sweet."

"I'll see what I can do," Chase finally muttered, a mandarin orange on the end of his fork.

"Yay! Thanks; you're the best!" Molly hugged him around the shoulders too tight for his liking. She took the opportunity to make a swipe for his fork, which he quickly caught onto and moved away from her. "Aw, can't I have one bite?"

"No," Chase held the fruit salad over his head, away from her reaching arms. "You always say 'just one bite,' and then you eat half of it. Or you take this sick, monster bite, and ruin everything."

"I do not!" Molly denied, still grabbing wildly.

Chase was sick of fighting, so he sighed and relinquished it to her. Molly giggled in glee, stuffing her face full of coconut, marshmallow, orange, pineapple, and grape.

"So are you going to see the fireworks?" Chase asked, avoiding watching her hork down his food.

Happily curled up with her fruit salad, Molly spoke between bites. "Well, yeah. We watch it every year together! Why? Aren't you going?"

"Maya asked me to watch the fireworks with her," Chase admitted. He didn't seem at all happy about this, but Molly's face lit up. He rose and went back to the kitchen to find a new snack since he gave his up. "It's not even a romantic festival or anything, but that's how she's treating it."

"Aw, humor her!" Molly urged, bouncing up and down excitedly. "She's such a great girl. And so sweet. And she totally likes you! Why not give it a chance?"

Chase rolled his eyes at her relationship advice – the last person who should be giving such advice what with her obvious density and naivety. He remained quiet while she gushed about the waitress of the Ocarina Inn.

"She's super spunky, too," Molly prattled on. "She's got just the energy to pick up a grumpy guy like you."

"Gee, thanks," Chase muttered. "But I turned her down."

"Oh…" Molly wanted to scold him, but she felt that she had intruded enough into that war zone. She shrugged it off in her perky way. "Ah, well. Maybe next time."

"Sure," Chase stated, not at all looking forward to whatever next time would be.

Molly suddenly gasped, staring at his apple clock hanging over the kitchen table. "I'm gonna be late!"

"For what?"

She stuffed the rest of the fruit salad in her mouth, swallowing with difficulty. "I've got to take care of Lil, yet, and I haven't seen Tucker all day. I think he wandered off for Horn Ranch again, but I forgot to check – ah, I won't make it to the fireworks in time! Catch!"

The plastic Tupperware flew through the air as Molly chucked them at him, and she raced for the door. Chase struggled, but managed to awkwardly catch both the bowl and the fork.

"Thanks so much, Chase! See you at the festival in our spot!" Molly waved and disappeared with the slam of the door. Silence followed her noise tornado, leaving the poor, young man feeling tired.

"Right…" Chase shook his head at her irritating absent-mindedness, but a smile crossed his face anyways.

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><p>The sharp, baritone bark of a Great Pyrenees bayed over the beach. The fluffy, large white dog galloped along the shoreline, testing the water with his paws. He would bark at the crabs and come running back to his owner before once again bounding out to explore.<p>

Molly laughed and clapped her hands, her shoes left behind in the grass. "Hey, Tucker! Here, boy!"

Tucker perked up his ears at her whistle, dashing to meet his owner. He covered her hands in kisses, still a puppy at heart, before he lifted his great sandy paws onto her shoulders as she knelt to meet him.

"Oh, dear!" Molly giggled, attempting to shield her face from his tongue. "Aren't you a little big for this?"

Molly wheezed as Tucker released her and sprinted up the incline. Sea gulls cawed above their heads in the evening sky tinted with oranges and pinks. Only a few villagers were on the beach with Molly and her dog, spreading their blankets with picnic baskets for a light dinner. The fireworks wouldn't start for another hour or so.

Tucker's whining caught Molly's attention. Holding a guitar, Chase gave the dog a pat on the head, but it didn't stop his pawing and overall obnoxiousness. Molly hurried up the hill where her shoes and blanket lay at Chase's feet.

"Hey!" She greeted with a wave, eying the instrument. "You're early."

"I didn't have anything else better to do," Chase said, shrugging his shoulders. Tucker still hadn't calmed down from seeing him, so it was too dangerous to sit quite yet. He awkwardly held the guitar's neck, keeping his eyes low.

"That's new, isn't it?" Molly asked, tilting her head in curiosity. She got down to Tucker's level to soothe him, stroking his thick fur. "I thought you only played the flute."

"Yeah… I've been trying to pick up on it," Chase finally took a spot on the blanket. He made himself comfortable, so he could correctly hold the guitar in his lap. Though he was unable to hide his sudden blushing, Molly didn't seem to notice it.

"Why? Just something new?" Molly grinned, tapping the strings.

"Change of pace," Chase nodded. _And because you like… musicians…_

"Cool!" Molly congratulated. She reached for the piece of driftwood Tucker had been parading about with earlier and tossed it as far as she could. The dog chased after it in excitement, clearing the air a bit for the pair. "Are you teaching yourself?"

Chase positioned his fingers for a few chords, strumming carefully to do it just right. "Calvin gave me a few pointers."

Molly watched in awe, wondering who thought up such an instrument. She could probably just ask Gill, and he could tell her since he was so smart, but she rather liked just wondering and coming up with theories. "Well, let me hear you play something."

"I only know a few chords! Don't rush me," Chase griped, continuing to practice his scales.

Molly laughed and sprawled herself across the blanket, staring up at the sunset sky. It was so peaceful with the sounds of the ocean, the smell of grass, the plucking of the guitar, and the gentle conversation of the villagers in the distance.

"Do-do-do…" Molly sang.

Chase looked down at her, holding in a laugh. "What are you doing?"

"Just singing along with the notes," Molly said. Chase went down the scale again, so she repeated: "Do-do-do~"

He chuckled. "Try to come up with some words."

"Um… you have to help me!" She declared, rolling over onto her stomach, so she could watch him strum. Chase blanched a bit at the request, but he didn't refuse. He played a few chords, testing them out to see how they sounded. Once he got a pattern down, Molly hummed along in thought. "It's just you…"

Chase waited a minute before he realized that was his cue. "And me?"

Molly nodded happily. "Do-do-do!"

Chase rolled his eyes, but he continued to play, missing a finger or two and making the strings vibrate off key. Tucker came back, carting the stick in his mouth. Though it was dragging with its weight, the dog was full of pride. Molly scratched his head, but she pushed him out of the way before he batted Chase with his stick on accident.

"Do it again!" Molly demanded as she sang some more, holding Tucker back. "It's just you!"

"And me," Chase repeated, not singing at all and sounding very sarcastic.

Molly didn't care. "Sailing around all seven seas."

"Do-do-do," Chase stated with finality, strumming a final time.

Molly clapped, making Tucker excitable. The dog dropped the stick next to them and suddenly dashed towards the lighthouse. "That was fun! It could be a good song."

"A really poorly written song," Chase straight-faced shot her down. "But, yeah. A song."

That would be all the encouragement she could get out of him in that area. After all, he was famous for his back-stabbing compliments. Molly punched his knee as Kathy strode up behind them. She put a finger to her lips to warn Molly not to say anything as she stood over Chase.

"Maybe I'll write some more lyrics," Molly continued the conversation. "But you'd have to write the music!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Chase muttered, setting down his guitar.

Kathy chose that moment to slink her arms around his neck, effectively making him jump in surprise. But jumping doesn't work well when one's sitting, so in his panicked scramble, Chase nearly fell over.

"Daw, you're learning guitar? Isn't that the cutest thing?" Kathy baby-voiced, pinching his cheek.

"Cut that out!" Chase snapped, rubbing away her touch.

Before Kathy's fun was done, she gave him a hard kiss on the cheek while he burned crimson and tried to swat her away. Molly giggled as Kathy crawled across the blanket to sit by her friend, pulling Molly into a protective but loving headlock.

"And how's my Molly?" Kathy cooed, screwing with her hair.

"Fine, until you decided to come along and violate us!" Molly laughed, holding Kathy's arm around her neck.

Kathy squeezed her tighter. "Aren't you sweeter than cherry pie?! I don't need to eat desserts with someone as sugar-coated as you around."

"Kathy, let go of Molly before you eat her, and we have to awkwardly explain to the police how she died."

"Luna!" Molly greeted the newcomers brightly, waving both arms for her to take. Luna settled on the quickly diminishing blanket, taking Molly's hands in her own.

"My Candace!" Kathy quickly relinquished Molly to pull the nervous girl into a bear hug – forcing her to sit beside her in the process. She stroked her head like a mother would a crying little girl. "It's been too long, darling!"

"You guys are freaks," Chase snorted, watching their strange, squishy way of greeting one another.

"Oh, no!" Molly gasped, a shocked hand over her heart as she surveyed her friends. "He's jealous of our love!"

"Quick, everyone!" Kathy joined in. "We must smother him with affection—!"

"Don't touch me."

The girls laughed and found comfortable positions to snuggle up before the fireworks started. The sisters talked about the Summer Festival – the only ones in the group who had gone. It didn't surprise anyone that Toby had won nearly every fishing contest. Molly wasn't a fan of fishing, so she hadn't bothered to even enter this year, and Kathy was too busy scouting the Garmon Mines District for her unofficial boyfriend. Since the two were in town, they had attended – albeit that meant Luna went shopping at the booths, and Candace tagged along behind her.

Chase wasn't interested in this conversation, so he pulled out his guitar again. He soon found out doing so was suicide as the girls fawned over the instrument and begged him to play their favorite songs.

"Like I would memorize all of your favorite songs!" Chase griped, going back to his scales.

Luna pouted. "It's an unofficial rule! Every guitarist has to know how to play _Wonderwall_."

A loud boom stilled the air followed by a sizzle and fizz. The sky had grown dark enough, and the fireworks began. The villagers cheered and shouted in joy with every heart stopping, colorful blast.

About halfway through the show, Luna and Candace left to watch the rest with their grandmother and said their farewells. Kathy was soon to follow them, giving Molly and a grumpy Chase each a busty hug before running off to find her father in the crowd. That left Molly, Chase, and Tucker in the darkness, illuminated only by the rainbow of sparks thundering above them.

As the show was nearing its roaring finale, Molly leaned her head against her dog's tall shoulder, happy to spend another festival with the people she loved the most. And even though she was just a simple farmer living alone on a hilltop, she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


	4. Chapter Four

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm back. I didn't expect it, but among other more important distractions, a wild Fullmetal Alchemist appeared and ruined my life. I kept thinking "I've got to keep wriiiiiiiiting D:" but Fullmetal was like "sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Have another episode. 3" And I was like "okay D;" But hey. My life got a little less hectic, and I've got it under control.

And holy wow, I'm surprised by the responses! Thanks so much breeeezy123, Cotton Candy Mareep, Accidentally The Whole Fanfic, CAPJHMPAgirl, and MikariStar for the reviews last chapter. Totally, crazy unexpected – but so grateful for the support. You guys are so nice! I'll work hard to continue and create a higher standard for the story. :D

(And since I was gone for so long, I'll try some speed updating. Yay!)

P.S. I'd like to apologize in advance for the terrible songs. Since I didn't want to use any real artists or songs for this story, I made up everything myself. Yeah, ouch. xD

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

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><p>The tape stuck to her fingers, which stuck to the thin pink streamer paper, which stuck to the wood. Luna twitched her hand, but it was ineffective. She was soon furiously flailing her arms around in frustration at the top of the ladder.<p>

"L-Luna! Careful!" Candace warned from below her, holding the steel ladder as steady as she could.

"Oh, fiddlesticks!" Luna grumbled, finally biting the tape off and freeing her hands. She swayed backwards, making her sister squeal with worry, before righting herself and anchoring the pink twist to the corner of the ceiling. "There! Done!"

"Hey, looks great!" Molly cheered, re-entering the bar. Hands on her hips, she looked around and took a deep breath of the humid, night air. The ceiling was covered in milkshake pink streamers in a spiral pattern, sort of like a spider with its body the center floor chandelier. Well, chandelier was a rather posh word for the rocking light fixture holding five dim bulbs. The tables along the sides of the door were covered in all sorts of sweet goodies she couldn't wait to try. Molly smiled at the progress they had made.

"Get those last chairs or get out of the way," Chase warned, teeth grit as he pushed a table her way.

"Oh!" Molly jumped out of the way and saluted him. She hurried to the last two chairs left on the dining floor and followed Chase outside with them, one under each arm as she struggled to hurry.

Kathy finished mopping the last of the floor where the tables and chairs used to be. The room looked much bigger with it so empty. She parted her bangs and leaned against the mop handle with a sigh. "I don't get why we have to clean _before_ the party. People are just going to stomp in here and trash the place, and we're gonna have to clean up all over again."

Luna sniffed haughtily as she descended the ladder, careful to keep her skirts down. "Be_cause,_ Kathy, people don't want to dance in dingy dirt. It's all about atmosphere!"

Kathy rolled her eyes, but she didn't bother retorting. Luna's patience was already rather low, so she wasn't about to push her over the edge before they could have any fun. But party planning and preparation was always a gas. She silently wished someone else was hosting, so they could just arrive, have their fun, and leave like everyone else.

"Phew!" Molly propped the last chair into place in the maze of tables on the cobblestones. She grinned at Chase. "All done… Hey, thanks for helping out. You really didn't have to."

"Like you idiots could do this on your own…" Chase grumbled. He pulled down the cuffs of his sleeves, looking down to hide his reddened face.

"Chase~!" A cheery voice echoed by the boardwalk.

Molly and Chase turned to see Maya hurrying over with a big smile and an even bigger bowl cradled carefully in her arms. Its contents sloshed as she came to a stop, her cute Mary-Janes clicking on the rocks.

"Hey, Maya!" Molly greeted with a wave. She fanned her shirt, already sweating from the work. She scanned the sunset and realized people would start arriving any minute now.

"Hey, Molly! Sorry I'm a bit early, but I just couldn't wait," Maya giggled with happiness. She showed the bowl to Chase. "Chase, I brought this for the party!"

"Did you make it?" Chase warily asked, peering under the saran wrap.

"Yeah," Maya pouted, dissatisfied with his tone. She pursed her lips as he critically examined it. "Why? Did I somehow not make punch right?"

"I'm sure it's great!" Molly quickly intervened, attempting to take the bowl from her. "Here, let's put it inside by the other drinks, okay?"

"We can't let her serve that!" Chase said, pointing at the fruit punch like it was a wild animal. It didn't look as bad as he was making it out to be – fresh pineapple and raspberry chunks floated at the top of the pink concoction, and it smelled very sweet. He gave Molly a withering look. "Everyone knows Maya can't cook."

"You don't have to cook fruit punch!" Maya argued, sticking her nose proudly in the air. "Hee-hee, even I know that~"

"She has a point," Molly shrugged.

Chase grumbled to himself, impulsively sticking his finger into the bowl while Maya screamed in protest about him 'contaminating' it. He tasted it, holding it in his mouth for a second while both girls watched nervously. Glowering, he crossed his arms and grunted. "It's watery, but it's passable…"

"Yay!" Maya burst. She nearly started clapping her hands in excitement but for the bowl between them. She allowed Molly to lead her inside, laughing in victory the whole way. "I _told_ you so!"

Chase wiped his hands off on his pants, letting out a sigh. Everyone was always telling him how Molly and Maya were so similar, but he didn't see it. Maybe it was because he knew Maya longer. Whatever the case, whenever the two were together, he'd find himself grumpier than usual…

These thoughts were short lived. He quickly turned away when another person exited the bar and replaced their company.

Whistling innocently, Kathy leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back. She didn't say anything, but her lips betrayed her need to smile. Instead, she continued to chitter her nameless tune.

"Just come out to whistle at me? How annoying…" Chase said, sitting on one of the many tabletops.

Kathy whistled a particularly high note that lingered. She quieted, studying him from afar.

Chase wasn't sure what was coming, but her piercing green eyes were making him uncomfortable. That was something very off-putting about Kathy. She was warm and radiant and friendly, but her eyes always looked severe in whatever she did. He was glad she wasn't often angry. He'd be more scared of her than he already was.

"Aren't you going to do anything?"

He looked up, gripping the table with his palms. "What?"

"Tonight," Kathy shrugged. She looked up at the dark spots of sky that were already letting stars poke through. The gentle lap of the saltwater in the bay made for constant noise, but it didn't help the awkward silence between them. She sighed. "It's as good an opportunity as any."

"Yeah, thanks; I'll mull it over," Chase hopped off the table and quickly tried to pass her by into the bar.

Kathy snatched his sleeve, making him jump. She gave him a warm, encouraging smile. "Seriously, relax! Give yourself a little credit."

Chase almost smiled back. But Kathy continued.

"And quit frowning all the time. Molly likes a man that smiles!"

His scowl deepened as he brushed her off. "Eh…! Just leave me alone…"

Kathy smirked and patted him hard on the back. "'Atta boy!"

Chase's face turned red as he staggered forward into the bright, echoing room. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Kathy was shouting greetings. She whirled in behind Chase with a smile. "Hey, people are coming! Party's on!"

In an awkward turn of events, Luke and Owen were the first to arrive after Maya. After more guests arrived, everyone shouted a lackluster 'surprise' for him. Due to the strange circumstances, the girls actually wound up surprising Owen for his birthday after all.

The bar felt more crowded than it was. Or maybe not. There were people Molly didn't recognize, probably vacationers or wanderers staying at the inn. Whatever the case, the room was packed wall to wall with people.

Molly wound her way through expert dancers like Selena and good-spirited jokes like Luke. The music was way too loud, and the bass was deafening. She wasn't actually sure if there were any lyrics. She wasn't certain if she should just give in and jump around like a maniac or stand there like she was and try and pinpoint a melody.

The latter idea was getting her tossed and knocked around like a buoy, so Molly was making a quick escape. She thought for a split second she saw Luna in the sea of bodies, but she had to have been mistaken. Luna would _never_ be having so much fun in this 'atmosphere.' Speaking of, the raucous below had weakened the streamers. They were torn by rushes of air from outside and the dance floor, and they were hanging down in places. Molly supposed this was the craziest little Castanet would get.

"Hey!" Molly was surprised she heard the voice over the roar, but she didn't have time to think much on it before both of her arms were swept up and she was violently spun around. Kathy laughed as she watched her friend droop like a rag doll. "Where's your energy?!"

Molly held her rattled head and smiled. She tried to shout over the noise, but the song changed to an even louder one with a heavy guitar opening. "I left it outside!"

"Who's outside?" Kathy asked, performing a quick round of the chicken dance.

Molly laughed at her antics, pointing at the door.

A quick survey of the room told Kathy a certain person was missing. She smiled devilishly and took Molly by the hand again. "To the rescue, baby doll!"

The young farmer was yanked along through the dancers to the door. With a shove, Molly found herself in the clear. She turned around to thank her friend, but she was already lost.

Molly wandered outside into the fresh air, taking in a deep breath of it. It felt clean. Out here, the street lights glowed where moths and mosquitos and gnats threw themselves against their frosted glass. It would have been darker, but the moon was waxing over half full, illuminating the ocean's rippling tides.

Most of the tables were vacated, but there were plenty of groups to jump into. Calvin was lounging with a glass of brandy in front of him. He was talking animatedly with the doctor, young Jin, who Molly wouldn't admit she was attracted to despite being one of his clients like the rest of the little town. Anissa, the humble homebody, was sitting with them, listening with interest to their conversation and putting in her two cents about remedies whenever she could.

The other table seemed a little more her speed, so Molly approached Candace and Phoebe. Phoebe had a plate of food, seemingly sampling a wide array of different things, whereas Candace had one cup of diminishing pudding. Both girls looked up when she greeted them.

"I feel like my ears should be ringing," Molly joked, sitting down beside Candace and holding her hands over her ears. "How are you guys?"

"I'm not one for many sweets, but this food is great," Phoebe admitted, poking a cube of gelatin with her fork. "Did you guys hire a caterer?"

"Sort of!" Molly giggled. She subconsciously looked around, but she didn't spot him in the immediate vicinity. "Chase made most of the food tonight. We all helped where we could, but you know how he is. But I guess it was for the best if it turned out so great!"

Phoebe nodded, pushing her red rimmed glasses up her nose. "I definitely need to get the recipe for the toffee bar. Is that what it is?"

"Oh, Kathy made that!" Molly said. She felt Candace sinking beside her. "It's one of her mother's recipes."

"Oh…" Phoebe thought, biting a nail. "I'd hate to ask her, then. If it's special…"

"I don't think she'd mind. Hey, did you try the strawberry pretzel dessert?" Molly attempted to wheel the subject around.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, I didn't see it."

"I highly recommend it!" Molly giggled.

The green haired archaeologist shrugged and stood. She gave them both a smile. "Guess I'd better investigate! Thanks for the chat, Candace. You'll have to show me that new rucksack next time I'm in town."

"Oh, of course…" Candace nodded, perking up a bit.

"See you later!" Molly waved as Phoebe left with her empty plate. She watched her go until Phoebe disappeared back into the bar before turning to Candace with a wink. "Don't tell Kathy, but I always preferred your mom's strawberry pretzel thing~"

"Thanks… for…" Candace mumbled. Molly was mystified how she could be so embarrassed from little things, but how she finished surprised her. "Including me…"

"Including you?" Molly asked, propping her elbows up on the table. She gave her friend a sideways, appraising glance. "Candace, everyone knows you're quiet. You know you're quiet, right?"

"Y-yes?" She wasn't sure where her friend was going.

"But we won't just forget about you," Molly promised. "Besides, quiet people are the most interesting people to be heard! What would we do if we were all screaming at Luke's decibel? No one would hear anything."

Candace chuckled behind her hand. She clicked her shoes together. Though some of the residents had gussied up for the party like her sister Luna in all her frills and bows, Candace just wore her usual tweeds. The cardigan sweater was a bit warm for the evening, so she just had her blouse. It still made her feel exposed. She was glad Kathy and Molly hadn't bothered dressing up either. "I guess I'm just… tired…"

Molly turned to face her blue haired beauty of a friend. Even after all of the years they had known each other, Candace rarely looked people in the eye. Candace glanced up for a moment, her baby blues connecting with Molly's. "Of?"

"It sounds silly…" Candace fiddled with the table cloth. "Just… being a wallflower…"

Molly sat back in her chair, folding her arms over her torso and kicking her feet out in front of her like Candace was. "My mother used to say something to me whenever I wasn't asked for a dance."

It was rare for Molly to talk about her parents. Candace listened with quiet unease.

"She'd say: 'Without you standing there on the sidelines, the walls would come crashing down. You're a superhero!'" Molly giggled after the memory, staring up at the endless ceiling above them. She turned back to her friend. "She was good at cheering me up, but it was ridiculous what she said. It still sucks."

Candace nodded ruefully. She plucked a loose string from the table cloth, twisting it around her finger.

"But, hey. The only reason you're holding up the walls is because you want to. The best way to get out is to get up," Molly was playfully nudging Candace at this point. "So what do you say? Wanna dance with me?"

Candace shook her head. Her protests increased as she started to laugh, pushing her friend away from her as Molly started to poke and tickle her. "No! No, I don't want to dance!"

"Aw! But I was just about to ask you!"

The new voice made both girls jump. Luna was breathing heavily, sweat sticking her bangs to her forehead, but she was smiling brightly. What was more shocking was the person she was clinging to.

"You guys know it's a party, right?" Luke grinned, rubbing his nose. His arm found its way around Luna's waist, holding her close to him.

"Ahem!" Luna took one look at his tan hand with the fingerless glove and snorted. She brushed him off, giving him a reprimanding glare. "I'm not _that_ drunk."

It was obvious they were both tipsy, regardless of her protests. Luke was unphased by her rejection, still smiling like a goof. He posed gallantly with a fist in the air. "So what are we doin' out here for? Let's go dance!"

"Come on, Candace," Luna said, trying to persuade her sister by leaning over to her level. "It's not so bad! Kathy's with us. You'll be fine!"

"Oh… I-I don't know…" Candace poked the spoon stuck in her pudding cup, avoiding all eye contact.

"You're no fun!" Luna goaded, pulling on her sister's arms to try to get her to stand. Candace pulled back, nervously retracting in on herself. The scuffle knocked the table and upset her unfinished cup of pudding.

"I beg to differ!" Molly argued, quickly rising to Candace's defense. "Come on, you guys can't just make her do something she doesn't want to do."

Luke cocked a sly expression that Molly was immediately afraid of. He took it as a challenge. "We'll see about that!"

Candace let out a shriek, hands shielding her rosy red face as Luke laughingly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder easy as a sack of grain. The poor girl was immediately limp. Molly stood from her seat and made her way around the table, torn between concern for Candace and giggling at what she had gotten into.

"Luke, put her down! You big brute!" Luna suddenly turned against him, pounding on his shoulder with both fists like a child.

"Hey, Molly, you coming or what? I've still got a free shoulder," Luke asked, somewhat lacing in a threat.

Molly shrunk away, suddenly spotting a familiar silhouette in the distance. A smile stretching across her face, she held up her hands in surrender. "I obviously can't fight you, but would you take a rain check? I'll be there in five seconds!"

"You better be!" Luna's mood swung again, so she was on Luke's side once more. She patted Candace's head, skipping back towards the bar. "Come on, Candace! We'll teach you!"

"I'm an expert!" Luke assured, following after the flouncy, pink haired troublemaker with her sister in tow.

"Sorry…!" Molly mouthed with a small wave. Spinning on her heel, she turned back to the one person she hadn't seen all night.

Chase was sitting on the stone ledge where the road ended and the water began. The nearest street light was far enough away to make the area dim. Molly's farm boots tapped against the stones as she tried to quietly approach.

"What's the matter? Aren't you a party person?" Molly asked, lifting the chain rail over her head and sneaking under. She eyed the spot next to him before plopping down and swinging her legs out over the water.

"Are you?" Chase countered, watching the tides hit the wall below them.

Molly scrunched her nose in thought. "I'm not sure. I like the thrill and atmosphere where there are lots of people, but I always get this uneasy feeling right in the pit of my stomach. Like something terrible is going to happen if I don't leave as fast as I can."

Though she was hoping for an introspective response, Chase replied with a muttered: "Weird."

Molly's grin quirked up as she stared out over the sea. Pascal's lone ferry was in the harbor, and the lights inside were all on. With the lighthouse and the Fishery alight, too, the whole bay was glowing under the eerie calm of the moon. She took a deep breath of the salty air and looked out over the waves where the sky turned blacker and visibility was lost. "You know, I bet you're right. They have cable channels for everything – even hockey. It won't be hard for you to get a cooking show. You just need to get over there somehow."

Chase cocked his head to the side, still not looking at her. Though his face was increasingly tinging with a blush as he spoke. "It's 3,000G."

"What?" Molly asked, her head turning so fast her shoulder length hair bounced comically.

"I looked it up," Chase said. "A boat ticket to get across is 3,000G."

"Wow," she mumbled.

"Not including luggage charges."

Molly just whistled.

Chase brought up his legs, tucking his knees up and resting his arms over them as a sharp breeze blew by. Molly shuddered at the sudden chill. He squinted at the horizon. "And it's what? A twelve hour trip?"

Molly clapped the dust off her hands, making him jump from the noise. She whacked his shoulder. "Well, you'll just have to save up! It's not that bad. Of course, you'll need extra money to live off of in the city. And I bet that gets expensive fast since their prices are inevitably higher than ours…. But you can do it!"

"I'll need a lot of money if…" Chase trailed off, his voice muffled by his elbows.

"Huh?" The oblivious girl asked.

"I don't know…" he remained stubborn.

"But what did you say?"

"You're going with me!" He nearly shouted in an effort to get it out. During the silence, Chase mustered up the courage to look her in the eye for a reaction. Unnerving him further, Molly was smiling sweetly as always.

"Of course I'm going with you!" Molly laughed. "Though I'll have to do something about Lil since I can't exactly run a farm across the ocean… I bet Renee would help me out. I mean, she'll have to. _Someone_ has to be the biggest fan of your show."

Chase stared. _Did she… actually…?_

"Hey, what's taking so long? Do you need a lift?!" A booming voice made Molly squeak in fear.

She quickly lifted her legs and stood, brushing off her jean shorts. "No! Coming!"

Chase's heart sunk like a rock watching Molly run off to be with what looked like her date, the idiot carpenter. While he was trying to sort out exactly what was happening, Molly was shouting back at him going unheard.

Molly stopped waving for Chase to come over and turned to Luke with a sigh. "Can't exactly pick him up, can ya?"

"Chase?" He asked, his large amber eyes blinking from the drinks.

"Good God, come _on!"_ Luna whined, yanking on Molly's arm with a laugh. "We're burning moonlight!"

Molly motioned for Chase to follow her one last time before she gave up and waved, hurrying inside the bar with Luna and Luke.

The first thing Molly saw upon entering the yellow lighted room were Kathy and Candace. Kathy had a hold of both of Candace's wrists and was swaying her from side to side. Hayden, Kathy's kind father, had the good sense to turn down the music some time ago to a more bearable beat. As more people left for food and a break from dancing, the room wasn't as scarily crowded anymore.

Molly chuckled upon seeing her friends, hands going to her hips. "What are you doing?"

"Just a gentle sway," Kathy coached. Candace was smiling, glad to be with a calm partner. "We are boats on the sea!"

"I thought I had dibs on Candace," Molly argued. She still needed to shout over the lyrics of a country rock song of some kind.

"Get your own Candace!" Kathy stuck out her tongue and slowly twirled underneath Candace's floppy arm.

She shook her head and peered past them. The short step stage was empty but for some of the instruments left behind from their regular use at the bar. Then there was the empty karaoke machine.

Molly's eyes lit up, suddenly possessed to give it a try. She hurled herself through Candace and Kathy, grabbing both of their arms in the process.

"Molly, what the hell?!" Kathy scolded, trying to break away. "This is no time to play Red Rover!"

"Let's siiiiiing!" Molly pulled her friends closer to the stage, using all of her weight. Kathy shrugged and suddenly became a force with Molly to get Candace to go along with them.

They swept by Maya and Julius who were creatively cutting the rug together. Candace was looking around like she'd find an escape hatch. She violently shook her head. "B-but I don't sing! I can't!"

"Oh, don't be silly! I'm sure your voice is as lovely and airy as you are~" Molly tried to convince her with charm and flattery.

"Like the tolling church bells on the hill!" Kathy declared like a true Southern Belle.

"Did you guys say sing?" Luna garbled, pushing Luke away from her and following after her poor, peer pressured sister.

"Yeah! Come on, Luna!" Molly encouraged as they finally hopped up onto the stage.

"Please. I'm a _natural_," she insisted, tightening one of her frizzed pigtails.

"Yeah, you go!" Luke cheered for her, spinning off in another misguided direction.

Kathy fought the microphone away from Luna before she could hurt herself with it and switched on the boxed stereo on the floor. Candace was trembling next to Molly, using the brunette as a shield from the karaoke machine.

"Candace, it's okay," Molly comforted, prying the girl's iron-like grip of her hands off of her tank top. "No one's even watching! It'll be fun; I promise!"

Though the girl with the twin braids looked very doubtful, she tagged along. True to Molly's prediction, no one was watching their production on the stage, and they wouldn't be able to hear it over the roaring rock ballad playing through the bar's loud speakers anyway.

Kathy looked up at Molly where she was kneeling in front of the machine. "Okay, song choices? Ideas?"

"Anything!" Luna snatched back the microphone with confidence.

"Something we can all just goof around with," Molly said.

"A title would be great," Kathy grumbled, peering through the large selection of instrumentals.

"I wish we had some Mikhail songs," Molly sighed dreamily, now leaning on Kathy's shoulder to see the songs she was skipping.

"You can't sing along with violin pieces, you groupie!" Luna gave Molly a playful shove.

Molly blanched at her friends' teasing, but she figured it was well-deserved since she made her crush on the musician so evident. She couldn't help but wonder if the city across the ocean was a place Mikhail would visit. If he performed concerts there…

"That one!" Molly suddenly screeched, leaning over Kathy and pressing the play button.

"Yay! So fun~!" Luna clapped as the cutesy chords spilled out of the lone stereo.

"Yeah, fun when we were eleven, maybe," Kathy rolled her eyes. "This song drives me crazy!"

"Come on, Candace, you know this!" Molly said. Luna was halfway through the first verse already, surprising everyone with how well she remembered the lyrics as she wobbled off balance.

Candace bit her lip. She couldn't honestly say she was having a good time singing or dancing on a stage, but she was with the people she cared about the most. And that somehow not only made it bearable, but it sparked a sense of security inside. She nodded her head.

"Great!" Molly clapped, swinging Candace around. Kathy caught the girl's other shoulder and pulled Luna in close, so they could all share the microphone.

"_Baby, bubblegum hop!  
>That's the way you do it – pop!<br>Oh, come move it for me,  
>Everything you do is tasty!<em>"

Whether by coincidence or sheer luck, none of their peers were listening as the four girls belted out the cute classic from their childhood. They missed some lyrics and laughed especially at others, realizing as they were older that it wasn't as innocent as it used to sound. Candace was quiet as a dormouse, Kathy and Molly could keep up with each other despite their lack of harmony, and Luna was terribly off pitch. And it was fun.

Packed in a room that was swirling with hot air and a mismatched tune blaring over their candy shop song, the girls twirled and danced around with each other on the corner stage. Though it was strange and completely new, Molly could feel in her bones that it was _right_. And they would need to do this again.


	5. Chapter Five

Took me long enough to update, eh? /notfunny

I honestly have good reason to be away, but it's inexcusable since I started this. And since I started this, by God, I'm going to finish it!

CAPJHMPAgirl, Accidentally The Whole Fanfic, Guest, MikariStar – thank you for your reviews, and I apologize again for thanking you so late. If it helps any, this chapter is where we finally meet our plot – holy cow bells, about time, am I right?

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

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><p>The fall wind was harsh this year, blowing summer away in its first week and setting a chill in its place. Warmth could only be found when the breezes weren't howling, and the sun was sinking just past noon before it was snuffed out by fast-moving clouds. Molly's red jacket was thin, but the girl didn't seem to mind. She barely noticed her collar tapping against her neck with each passing, new wave of cold air.<p>

Molly was staring out over the ocean among her clay raked field. The fall crops had finally been planted, and her limbs were sore from the tilling, hanging loosely at her sides. The pumpkins looked a bit shriveled, so she wasn't sure how they'd fare, but the other seeds seemed to look okay to her. Maybe she'd have a nice eggplant to enter in the Harvest Festival this year.

Her knees folded beneath her, and Molly fell with a sigh. Her knees squished in the freshly dug ground, staining her blue jeans with cool dampness. Her head was cocked to the side, and she was wearing what Chase would no doubt call a 'dumb' expression.

But something was stirring within her. Something nagging. Something that she couldn't quite pinpoint, but it was still strong enough to not go away.

_It was that party_, she reasoned. Even weeks later, Molly was still hung up. It wasn't the dancing, the crowded atmosphere, the food, or even a promise to follow someone across the sea. It was the music.

Molly looked down at her dirty gloves and tore them off. She pouted, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Well, this is stupid."

A sharp wind batted her hair against her face and spitting out the strands wasn't helping. Molly gathered her hair into a ponytail, only to let it go in frustration. _No, they'd never… it was so…!_

She couldn't bring herself to even think 'impossible.' The posters of Mikhail cluttering her bedroom walls were flashing before her eyes, reminding her how short life is. How opportunities need to be taken. To not be a spectator. To feel. To take in everything. Every moment, every breath, every song.

Music was alive. It was in the world around her everywhere she looked. Her cow Lil swished her tail by the old, fruitless apple trees in a steady rhythm. The wind chanted a rustling through every leaf caught in its grasp, swirling in notes around her. A stray bird whistled an unrecognizable but clear as day tune in passing.

She wanted to harness that same spirit. Molly had never felt so alive than when she was with the people she loved most, clustered together in an over-heated corner of the bar, belting out nostalgic songs. She had created sound. Sound that was _hers_, from her core. She was a part of that rhythm, that chant, that melody.

Molly wondered why farming felt like such a chore suddenly. Her body was protesting every aspect as she plowed her way, quite literally, through the morning chores. It wasn't laziness – she knew full well what that was growing up with Toby. Farming was always her calling, her feeling of raw creation. But as a farmer, she was sowing seeds and raising animals that did the work, winding with the grand circle. What was she? What was she personally giving? She suddenly felt as if her time could be better spent elsewhere. She was ignoring something. A part of herself. Maybe something bigger than herself…

Molly's eyes glowed with a new fire, breaking out of her recent haze. She needed to talk to somebody. About all of these tangled up cords inside. And if she was lucky, he'd still be in Flute Fields.

The brunette snatched up her gloves and shot to her feet, making a speedy dash to her house. The door barely had time to close shut behind her.

* * *

><p>Molly wasn't the only one in deep thought that afternoon. Tongue between lips, brow creased, and concentration bursting into a headache, Chase twisted his wrist and forced the chord. The guitar gave out a semi-pleasant response, garnering a victorious smile out of the strummer.<p>

"Finally…" he breathed, running a hand through his peachy hair. He was so exasperated with the instrument, but he was finally coming along. All Calvin could tell him at this point was 'practice,' and 'life is pain' whenever he complained about the callouses on his fingertips. Chase rubbed the tips of his fingers together, examining the new damage. But it would be worth it. Still, he missed his flute at times like these…

"Chase! Chase! Chase!"

The call made his heart jump and his smile sink at the same time. Molly was his best friend, but he would _always_ be the first to say how annoying she could be. Always disturbing the peace. Barging into the sunlit Flute Fields like an alarm clock on Monday morning.

She panted as she came to a stop, letting her frantically waving arm drop to her heart to help regain her breath. There was a piece of notebook paper in her hand that he was quick to notice, and her smile was beaming at him brighter than the lighthouse on a clear night. "Oh! And you have your guitar. How convenient!"

Chase just watched her in slight offense as she skipped greetings entirely and plopped herself down across from him in the grass at the crossroads, folding her legs beneath her and perkily watching him. He wondered if she expected some sort of response out of him, but with Molly, one didn't have to wait long for an awkward silence to be filled.

"So! Nice day today, eh?" She finally decided on a greeting, pushing the bangs off of her forehead and holding her paper aloft. Chase reached for it, but she snatched it back and held it close to her chest with a look of horror. "You're not supposed to take it!"

"Well, what is it?!" He grouched, his arms slumping across the guitar's body.

Molly bit her lip and displayed a sense of restlessness. It was a strange expression from her, since Chase knew her to always be so sure and confident. With her rising blush, she looked downright shy!

Chase found himself chewing her out again. "Well? Just come to breathe my air? What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing…" Molly said with a shrug. She puffed at her hair and melted from her upright position into an exasperated pile. "Oh, everything!"

"Now we're getting somewhere…" he mumbled, eying the uniform writing on the lined paper. _Verse?_ He shook his head and frowned. "What am I, your life coach?"

Molly smirked, rising to sit on her heels again. "Who else would I go to? You always have the best advice!"

Chase was glad Molly was such an idiot to not notice the instant flush taking over his entire face. He gripped the neck of the guitar and shut his eyes, finding himself stuttering. "Wh-whatever! What's on the paper, anyways? That's why you're here, taking up the precious hours before my shift, right?"

"Oh, 'precious hours…'" Molly waved off his griping, her own face glowing red as she looked down at the words she had written. She scooted closer. "Remember? Back in summer? When we wrote a song?"

"Wrote a song?" His face was incredulous. _Was she dreaming, or was he drunk for this?_ "What are you talking about?"

"Before the fireworks!" She insisted, her voice straining just before turning into a whine. Molly couldn't deny she was disappointed he had forgotten all about the senseless words they had come up with to match the chords he was practicing. Then again, it was over a month ago… She set her jaw in determination and looked him dead in the eye. "I finished it!"

Chase had been mulling over her reference to the fireworks, a dim light of recognition sparking. He repeatedly snapped his fingers to jog his memory. "You mean… God, I can't remember the words to that!"

"But do you remember the chords?" Her face fell.

"It was weeks ago!"

"Oh, please? You have to…"

He racked his brains to try to remember what he was focusing on at the time to get the kicked puppy look off of her face. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Lemme see…"

Molly watched hopefully as Chase tried strumming a few different chord patterns. Her bright smile that came back quickly began to fade again as he progressed, trying again and again. Finally, he hit one that was familiar, and she shot up like a rocket to alert him. "That one! That one! And then a higher one!"

Chase could hardly recall what his fingers had just played because of Molly's close proximity; mostly her hands wrapped around his in an attempt to help him position his fingers back and her face so close her hair was threatening to itch his nose.

"Will you back off?!" He lashed out, shaking her surprisingly strong hands off and finding the chord himself. He took a deep breath and played. "…That one?"

"Yeah…" Molly nodded, confused by his apparent discomfort but glad he regained a calm tone with her. _She shouldn't be so impulsive and annoying…_ She watched in silence as he practiced the scale, going up and then back down again. "Do, do, do…"

Chase sighed. His lips quirked up in a small smile. "Okay, then? What's this for?"

Molly raised her forgotten lyrics into reading view and cleared her throat. She was careful not to touch him again when she pointed to his left hand firmly holding the strings. "I need you to play that over for the chorus! And the rest we'll just have to go by ear… But I wanted to show you my song. Please? It won't take long; I promise."

He watched with a bemused expression as she crossed her heart and folded her hands for her plea, the paper getting crushed in the process. Chase relaxed his shoulders and shrugged. "Right… Let's see what you've got."

She smiled wide, sitting as straight as she could. After focusing on the sign post telling pedestrians how to get to Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch for a little too long, she cleared her throat once again and made a motion for him to go ahead and play the scales. Chase plucked the strings and then let them resonate.

"_It's just you and me  
>And a cup of tea<br>Make me smile, make me laugh  
>Make me free<br>It's just you  
>And me<br>Do-do-do…"_

When Molly had opened her mouth, Chase wasn't quite sure what to think. He hadn't bothered to give much thought to her singing voice, but he would have bet, given the opportunity, that she couldn't hold a candle in that department. Probably as tone deaf as Maya whenever she graced the patrons of the inn with a dishwashing chorus from the backroom. He had heard Kathy hum and sing light melodies to herself as she swept the floor, and it was a deep, soulful sound. If anything, Molly might fit somewhere in there between the two – completely out of control and her pitch and intonation going all over the place.

What he didn't expect was to feel so blown away.

Molly's voice wasn't the ultimate chorus of angels nor the powerhouse bay of a professional, but it wasn't just passable either. She was _good_. There was potential he didn't expect in her. It was refreshing, and it showed him a new, interesting side to her as she sang her folksy song.

"_It's just you and me  
>Sailing around all seven seas<br>Pack your things  
>Don't forget the tea<br>Do-do-do…_

_I've got the map in mind  
>If you've got some paper<br>Take your time  
>'Cos we've got later<br>Just you and me  
>Do-do-do…<em>

_It's just me and you  
>Hitting the big leagues<br>You and me  
>Grabbing the Grammy's<br>You and I  
>Doing what we want to…<br>Oh…  
>With you…<br>Do-do-do…"_

Molly finished the chorus and dared a peek at Chase. So far, his face wasn't telling her to 'stop now, oh God, think of the children,' so she continued. Her heart was racing, threatening to stop completely with how nervous she felt. This was worse than any kind of secret confession; she was laying everything she had on the line out for him. And he was still smiling, encouraging her to finish…

"_Don't be afraid  
>I brought the biscuits<br>Life's too short  
>And we're gonna miss it<br>Sitting around  
>Do-do-do…<em>

_There are trees to climb  
>And roads to wander<br>We'll make do  
>As long as we're together<br>You've got me…  
>And I've got the tea!"<em>

So she did.

"_It's just me and you  
>Hitting the big leagues<br>You and me  
>Grabbing the Grammy's<br>You and I  
>Doing what we do…<br>Oh…_

_It's just you and me  
>And a cup of tea<br>Make me smile, make me laugh  
>Make me free<br>It's just you  
>With me<br>Do-do-do…  
>Oh, do-do-do…<br>Just you  
>Do-do-do…"<em>

Chase struggled with a finish, surprised it was over, and Molly's voice trailed off with the discordance as her voice cracked with the release of her anxiety. A hand flew to her mouth to stop any other unpleasant sounds from escaping as Chase finished a scale and let the strings hum to an end. He clapped his hands over the mouth, holding the strings to finally stop. He looked up.

Molly held back the squeak of fear she wanted to release, trying to make the tingling blood leave her cheeks. "S-so? Whatcha think?"

He decided to play it nonchalant, giving her a shrug in response and crossing his arms over the instrument. "I won't lie and say I wasn't surprised you've got some pipes… And that was the girliest song I think I've ever heard in my life…"

Her lips pursed in annoyance despite his compliment that soothed her worry. She grunted, still embarrassed that he didn't say it was the worst thing he had ever heard in his life. 'Girliest' was a pill she could swallow. "Well? Is that good or bad?"

"Why?" He asked, nose scrunching with the question. "What's this all about? You're a farmer, not a lyricist."

Molly bit her lip, leaning forward like she was telling a secret. "Well… what if I wanna be?"

Chase just tried to casually look her in the eyes and let her elaborate. He made a show with his hand for her to continue.

"I… I want to start a band."

The noisy bird screaming about something over in Fugue suddenly became the loudest noise around. They held eye contact for a moment longer as the sun glittered closer to the horizon. Chase held up his hand to close the staring contest, looking away with a deadpanning glare. "You couldn't pay me."

Molly giggled at his reaction. "No, not you, silly! I was going to ask the girls. Get a girl band going!"

"You're… not joking?" He ventured, ready for the worst.

She clenched her hands, squishing the paper further, before dropping her balled fists into her lap and sinking somewhat. "It just… seems so easy. It's sitting here right in front of me, and the only thing keeping me from doing it at this point is my own free will. It's just… drawn me in. Have you ever felt like that? That something, out of nowhere, just called to you? Demanded you follow it? And nothing can quite fill the void its made."

Chase hummed sarcastically, a hand to his chin. "Hm… sounds like the _exact_ wording I used when I told you why I was a chef."

"So you understand!" Molly held up a finger. "Because I know how that feels now. I don't want to do anything but sing and write more songs to sing. _Nothing_."

Her sudden passion for this previously unknown subject was rather startling, but Chase couldn't argue that kind of enthusiasm. He'd just be in the shoes of all of those teachers and peers who told him he'd be wasting his life 'just cooking food' for a living. When he could go to college for pre-med or business or accounting. Nothing hurt quite like those people shoving their rules for his life down his throat. And he wouldn't be that person for Molly.

Laying an unsteady hand on her shoulder, Chase said with all the sincerity he could muster: "I think it's… good. You should do it. If that's what you want. I believe you can."

Molly's eyes unexpectedly filled with happy tears, throwing him off guard as she took up his hand in both of her own and bounced excitedly. "Oh, thank you so much, Chase! You always know just what to say! Well, sometimes I have to pry it out of you, but you always know what's best. Thank you! You're the best friend anyone can have!"

"Okay, okay; I'm amazing – chill!" Chase scolded her, angry that he was blushing again despite that jab she threw in.

She let out a laugh and hopped to her feet. Molly dusted the blades of grass from her jeans and posed for success. She let out a yelp of surprise when she saw her lyrics caught in the wind, but she grabbed the sheet before it could get away. "I have to go tell the girls! I hope they're just as excited as you've made me!"

Chase watched in dumb shock as Molly ran off as fast as she had come, always in a whirlwind of energy. He could hear her boots pounding against the cobblestones of the bridge as she danced and twirled her way in ecstasy to carry out her dream.

"Yeah, me, too…" he shook his head, knowing full well that more than one of the people she had in mind wouldn't be feeling the same way.


	6. Chapter Six

Thanks CAPJHMPAgirl, MikariStar, XxTinyyxX, and Cotton Candy Mareep for reviewing last chapter! In, like, May. Jeez, I suck at updating this story. But good news! I had some plot changing to do, and I didn't want to post until I was sure the newest updates would coincide with my later changes. It was confusing and all over the place, and I added about ten new chapters, but huzzah! Here it's back again.

Seriously, thanks for the support, you guys. Much love, and I hope my updating speed increases tenfold! Have a lovely day! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

* * *

><p>One could have heard a pin drop. And they did. One of Candace's pins fell from her gaping lips and clipped lightly against the floor.<p>

Molly bit her lip, looking between the faces of her three closest friends. Each wore a different expression. Kathy seemed confused, like she hadn't heard her right. Candace looked scared out of her mind, and her face had frozen as if she had just encountered a bear. Luna's eyebrow was twitching and her lip was quivering in pent-up fury like the idea was somehow insulting to her. Molly sighed.

"No. No way!" Luna slammed her hand on the counter.

"Luna, what's all that racket?" Shelly, their grandmother, called from the back room. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes!" She screeched, smacking the poor table again. "Molly's lost her mind!"

"Was this a joke?" Kathy managed a chuckle, swinging her legs from where she sat on the counter Luna was abusing.

"I-I thought it was funny, Molly…" Candace tried to be supportive, collecting the sewing materials she had dropped. She pinned up a cut piece of pink cotton fabric around the mannequin's base for the dress she was assembling.

"It wasn't a joke!" Molly's voice rose to defend herself. Her eyes rivalled Luna's fire. "Look, we can do this; I know we can! It was like this was predestined or something. You all play an instrument and can read music—"

"The guitar's just a casual thing," Kathy said, her eyebrow furrowing doubtfully. "'Sides, it's not like we're band material. I play some guitar, sure, but Luna and Candace only know piano. What kinda band we supposed to be?"

"Thank you," Luna crossed her arms, letting out a relieved huff to her bangs. "Thank you, Kathy, for attempting to show Molly some good, decent reason! We can't cavort around with music anyways. We all have full-time jobs, unless you forgot farming all of those acres alone isn't a walk in the park."

"We don't even have an audience," Kathy added, listing the negatives on her fingers now up to five. "Is it just supposed to be a weird, secret group thing? A hobby?"

Molly pursed her lips. She turned to Candace and saw the girl quickly duck behind the mannequin, keeping herself busy and far away from the argument. Turning back, she grabbed Kathy's hand and took back each reason by putting her fingers back down one by one. "But you _can_ play guitar and really well. Who's to say we can't learn _new_ instruments? And we can be any band we want to be! You're all working part-time jobs, and farming isn't my highest priority. Let me worry about that. And we _can_ have an audience!"

Kathy stuck her thumb back up. "Audience? Who's gonna listen to us, Molly?"

"Anyone! Everyone! You're not looking at the big picture!" Molly bounced towards her blonde friend, seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with Luna's shaking head. She took Kathy's hand in both of her own. "Can't you picture it? We can get good. Like… _really_ good. If we practice hard, we can play at parties. Weddings! Festivals! Festivals in other _towns!"_

"You think?" Kathy asked, her voice hitching as a smile appeared.

"Yeah!" Molly jumped, rattling Kathy. "Just like Mikhail!"

"And ya lost me," her friend deadpanned. Luna face palmed and Candace hurried across the room to retrieve a basket of ribbons.

"Aw, come on!" The brunette whined. "He's a living legend! He's played at stadiums and halls all across the world, in the biggest cities, and he's got millions of fans! And you're all seeming to forget an incredibly important detail. He's from around _here_. We can use that to our advantage!"

"Well…" Kathy admitted, having forgotten the fact. "Konohana and Bluebell up in the mountains do get a lot of tourists looking for him. It's his hometown, right?"

"That's what they say," Molly shrugged. She couldn't let herself run too far off on this tangent though. She could easily talk about the mysteries of the dreamy Mikhail all day long, but this conversation was going to be the beginning or the end of her dream here and now. Focus. "It's not impossible. Mikhail's one of the most successful musicians in the world, and we can be just like him. I'm not saying we have to go platinum anywhere or anything like that, but wouldn't it be fun? To try?"

Kathy rolled her shoulders, hopping off of the desk and dusting off her pants. She picked a few stray threads she had picked up from the tailor shop. "Hm… I guess it couldn't hurt?"

"Eee!" Molly shrieked, pulling her friend into a suffocating hug. "Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret it! We can use your dad's bar to practice, right?"

"Yeah!" Kathy was sounding just as excited as Molly now. "Maybe he can even let us do a few gigs there during late hours, you know? And we can talk to Gill about performing at festivals!"

"_Yes!" _Molly clapped and giggled. "I'm sure his father could help set us up in the plaza. They've got all that sound equipment for those weather broadcasts and news reports, and we can just borrow it! Luna, if you just—"

"No way!" She remained stubborn, shaking her locks. Luna sicked her cold blue eyes on them, making them cower. "Who has the funds for this kind of charade? The time? I see no profit in this. Only loss."

"Oh, come off it, Luna. It's just a bit of fun," Kathy stuck out her tongue, one hand on her hip and her other arm slung around Molly's shoulders. "If you don't like it, you don't have to do it. Doesn't hurt giving it a shot."

"I refuse to subject myself or my sister to this kind of ridiculous waste of time!" Luna stuck her nose in the air.

Molly scrambled away from Kathy, reaching into her back pocket. Her pants were still muddy from her adventures in her field that morning. She unfolded a wrinkled, dirt-stained piece of notebook paper. "But look! We've already got a head start! Chase and I wrote this song—"

"A song…?" Candace peeped up from her work, peering over the mannequin's naked shoulder.

"Yeah, it's still pretty rough, but it could be a start!" Molly continued on hopefully.

"Molly," Luna stopped her friend by putting a firm, comforting hand on her shoulder. Her face was an expression of pity. "You know how I love you, and you're usually full of great ideas I'd be more than happy to humor. But… not this one. It's just… not our thing. I'm sorry."

Everyone watched as Luna quietly left the room, tears stinging her eyes as she kept her dignity until she was safely out of sight. She felt bad for letting down her friends, but the girls knew that Luna was headstrong. She wasn't easily swayed, and she had just made up her mind. A solid no.

"But…" Molly wracked her brain for something she could say that could convince her, but Kathy's hand replaced where Luna's had been.

"I guess it's just not her thing. You can't _make_ people do stuff…" Kathy frowned. Molly's tear-filled eyes were a bit much for her to stomach. Kathy gave her a squeeze and waved as she left Sonata Tailor's. "I'll see you at the bar tonight? Sorry, Molly!"

The bell merrily rang as the door slammed closed after her. Molly watched her go, losing heart. She looked down at the song she had offered, closing it into her fist. It was silly. They were right. Molly just wished they took her more seriously… or that she didn't put so much of her heart into it too soon.

Candace set down her scissors carefully in the basket she brought over, clearing up the supplies. Smoothing her skirt, she slowly approached Molly. The girl waited a moment, but when Molly didn't take notice of her, she reached out and nervously tugged the hem of her jacket. Molly's head whipped towards her in surprise.

"You said… you said you had a song? M-may I hear it?" She asked, eyes downcast. Candace looked up at Molly with her baby blues with a similar look of pity her sister had worn. But it was kinder, more supportive. She gave her a small smile.

Molly sniffed and rubbed her nose, smiling back at her. "Well… okay. Yeah."

The paper crinkled as Molly unfolded it and cleared her throat. She spun it right side up and looked over the words, warily eying Candace watching her.

Molly cleared her throat again. "Um… I… I don't know…"

"It's okay. Maybe I should just read it?" She volunteered.

Biting her lip, Molly shook her head. If she wanted to be in a band so bad, she needed to let go of her fears of singing in public. If she couldn't sing for Candace now, who's to say she could ever sing on cue for anyone else?

She took a deep breath and sang.

"_It's just you and me  
>And a cup of tea<br>Make me smile, make me laugh  
>Make me free<br>It's just you  
>And me<br>Do-do-do…"_

Candace was wearing a small, polite smile. Her hands were folded before her. Molly assumed Chase wasn't lying when he said her voice wasn't terrible, so she continued a little stronger.

"_Don't be afraid  
>I brought the biscuits<br>Life's too short  
>And we're gonna miss it<br>Sitting around…  
>Do-do-do…"<em>

Molly wrapped up the song, patting her leg to provide for the absence of music. Singing a capella made it sound more folksy and childish. Having had practice with Chase, Molly wasn't as unstable or nerve-wracked, especially in the quiet tailor shop. She finished the last bit and hummed the melody for the finale.

"So?" Molly asked, finding her hands were shaking despite her apparent fearlessness.

"I liked it!" Candace smiled, her braids bobbing to the side. She applauded her friend until her claps awkwardly died out. "It was very nice…"

"Thanks," Molly gave the girl a side hug. "That means a lot."

"If… well… it might sound nice on the piano, if I can figure out the notes and chords for it… Could speed things up a bit?" Candace suggested.

Molly's eyes lit up. "Really?! You'd do that? For me?"

The girl nodded.

"Oh, Candace, you're the sweetest! Thanks so much!" Molly tackled the poor girl, squishing her like she had Kathy.

"So it was cute," Luna's voice startled them both. They whirled around and found her leaning with her hands behind her back against the divider wall that separated the store from their home. She stood up straight and crossed her arms. "But it needs work. And I can read and play music by ear faster than Candace."

Molly beamed, running to her friend and meeting her halfway in a hug. "You'll do it?! Really?!"

"I never said—!" Luna hollered as Candace joined the group hug.

"Thank you, Luna," Candace quietly said.

"This'll be so fun!" Molly squealed.

The sisters giggled and everyone pulled apart. Though Luna was still skeptical, she was in it for her sister. And because she was involved, that meant she wasn't going to settle for anything less than perfection. Still, she was unsure of where to even begin. "So. What's the plan now, captain?"

Molly smiled, taking the sisters by hand and running from the shop with them in tow. Candace squeaked in surprise but quickly ran to catch up, and Luna screamed about leaving the shop alone. Shelly smiled as she watched them go with the bell ringing after them. They'd need to pick up Kathy first and tell her the good news before setting their band into action.


	7. Chapter Seven

Thanks CAPJHMPAgirl for the review! It's been forever, but hopefully, I can get this story back up and running as it starts to finally get interesting. :)

Thanks for reading, everybody!

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

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><p>"Well, these are all of the books I've got!" Barbara slammed a huge stack of catalogs onto the counter, rattling the cash register bad enough that the drawer popped open with a pleasant <em>ding!<em>

"Shit…" Luna mumbled, getting an elbow nudge from Molly since they were in the presence of an adult. Or, at least, Barbara was more of an adult than the four girls were.

"Thanks, Barbara!" Molly chirped, picking up the top book and scanning the cover.

"I can order just about anything," Barbara continued, pushing her bandana back on her head. She placed her hands proudly on her hips as the girls went through the catalogs. "Could be a couple weeks before it comes in, though."

"Hm… most of these are furniture…" Molly said, humming as she quickly skimmed and flipped the pages. A little stack of rejected books was already being created on the counter next to the monstrous pile of unseen ones.

"I found one! This has instruments in it!" Kathy announced, halfway through a thick picture book of mostly electronics and toys. She excitedly pointed at a snazzy bass guitar. "That one! I love it!"

The girls crowded around the blonde to get a look, too. Barbara stood on her tiptoes to see over the counter. She nodded. "Fine model! Comes in three colors. Which would ya like?"

Luna appeared appalled that they were already making a buying decision after approximately thirty seconds of shopping.

"It comes in more colors?" Kathy asked, reading the little paragraph at the side. She smiled, pointing at the little color box sample. "Ooo, aqua! Yeah, I like this one."

"Aqua bass?" Barbara stuck a pencil in her mouth and held her hands out for the catalog. She recorded the item number on an order sheet and filled in the details. "Alrighty – done!"

"Done? Kathy, don't you think you should shop around some more?" Luna insisted.

"Why? I know what I want, and it's right here. What's more to look for?" Kathy asked, put off already by Luna's snobbish, all-knowing tone.

"You can't even play bass!" Luna correctly pointed out.

Kathy turned to Barbara. "Does it come with a starter book?"

"You play acoustic – it won't be too different anyways, but yeah, it does," Barbara nodded, tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on the math for the shipping fees with base rates.

"See? There you go," Kathy nodded, considering the argument finished.

Candace had pulled out an insert, staring with wide eyes in fascination at the pictures of supplies within for heavy metal bands. All sorts of gory props with blood and smoke machines. Molly was nervously flipping through the catalog that had been discarded. She wasn't quite sure where to go for instruments, definitely a good starting point for this little adventure, but she knew she could count on Barbara at the General Store. The woman always promised fair prices and boasted she could get anything in. Guess it was time to put the money where the mouth was, and Barbara had pulled through for them.

Molly's brow furrowed, looking through the different kinds of electric guitars to the massive cellos. The book was suddenly pulled away from her by Luna with a short apology.

"There! Let's get this keyboard for Candace," Luna pointed, sarcastically using Kathy's shopping technique. "Don't know a thing about it, but, hey, it's shiny!"

"Yeah, looks great!" Kathy waved Candace over. "Come have a look, Candace! Whatcha think?"

"I was being _sarcastic!"_

"I think it looks… nice," Candace said, leaning in to see. She pulled at one of her braids. "Should we get it in aqua, too? To match…?"

"Great idea! Set us up, Barbie!" Kathy hit the table like she was ordering a round of drinks.

Luna was all but pulling out her pigtails.

"What other instruments are in a band? Tambourine?" Kathy asked with a thoughtful finger to her chin.

"Drums?" Candace quietly suggested.

"Luna! You got that, yeah?" Kathy pointed at her friend with an obnoxious grin.

"I'm not going to say I _don't_ have rhythm, but… it could be a bit of a challenge," Luna haughtily dodged the question, twirling a curl around her finger. She rolled her eyes and held her hand out for the book. "Fine! I'll look into it. But I get to shop _my_ way: by looking at all of the options first!"

Kathy waved off Luna's attitude and threw an arm around Molly's stiff shoulders. "Whatever, great; we love ya. Molly, what're you thinking about?"

"I'm… not sure," she admitted, looking down at the floor. "I didn't really think it through, I guess. I can barely read music, let alone play an instrument of any sort! I… Maybe I should just stick to writing the songs?"

"But you have a lovely voice…" Candace said, wringing her hands in worry.

"Me? A singer?" Molly tried not to scoff at the suggestion.

"Yeah, and we're not about to let you take the sidelines. You dragged us into this whole money pit, so you're taking some responsibility," Luna remarked, nose still stuck in the catalog.

"I'm sure you'll be great! Get a book or two on how to train your voice if you're so worried," Kathy gave her arm a squeeze. "Otherwise, you're our headliner. This was your idea, so you've got no one to blame but yourself."

"Oh, dear…" Molly actually felt like stuttering, as she was holding her blushing face. "You guys really think so? That I should sing?"

Luna took Barbara's pencil and circled the drum set she wanted, sliding the book to the store manager to write out the order. "You think we're kidding? Who else is going to sing? Besides, you know all the words if you're also our writer. Ugh… guess this is really a thing. If this goes south, I expect a full refund and return policy on this equipment."

"Yay, we're getting somewhere!" Molly clapped, slinging Candace into a hug. "Wow! You're going to be our keyboardist…"

She moved to Kathy and Luna, tapping their heads like Duck, Duck, Goose. "Our bass guitar… our drums…" she stopped with her hands over her heart, "and the words. We're a band, guys!"

Kathy was all ready to jump and celebrate with Molly, and Candace happily clapped her hands. Luna made a show of fake enthusiasm, but she wore a small, genuine smile anyways.

Barbara was leaning on the counter, watching the girls go back and forth. "So? Is that all for you gals?"

"Yes!" Molly hurried to the counter. "What's the damage?"

Barbara looked over the lists, puffing out her cheeks. "It's going to be a doozy, I'll tell ya that. Why don't you girls set up incremental payments? That way, it doesn't have to hit you all at once. I can set up a payment plan that will have all of the instruments paid off in full in about a year. Once a week dues. Sound good?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The girls bowed in unison, each sweating at seeing the numbers. They could only hope that this wasn't going to be a worthless hobby after all. If anything, they'd be lucky if this didn't put them in debt for a long, long time with nothing for it.

The bell tolled as the girls filed out of the shop and said their farewells to Barbara. Luna was steaming at the ears, feeling a bit woozy after hearing how much of her allowance it was going to take to pay off a drum set she wasn't even sure she wanted.

Once they were all outside, Molly assured them. "It's okay; I'm more than willing to pay for all of it. It's my idea, and you guys have been nice enough to get this far. My farm can cover it."

"Are you sure?" Candace asked, shocked at the suggestion.

Kathy crossed her arms. "I know how much profit that plot of yours pulls in, Molly. You won't be eating until next year's Thanksgiving, and that's only if Chase pities you enough to give you a slice of cake. Don't kid yourself. We agreed that we're in this together, yeah? So let's pay this off together. We don't need to be so glum and penny-pinching about all of it."

Molly was relieved by her friend's helpful insight.

"I guess it won't take long if we all pitch in…" Luna was forced to compromise despite her pale face. "Maybe if we work extra hard and don't waste our money on frivolous things, we can get this paid off sooner, so we're not under Barbara's thumb."

"Frivolous things?" Molly asked.

"Luna, you're the most likely…" Candace pointed out.

"Yeah, how much did that headband cost?" Kathy teased, pointing at the lace accessory.

"You monsters!" Luna covered her head to hide the expensive item. "Tearing me apart already! I'm just being sensible!"

"Yeah, don't gang up on Luna," Molly squished her friend. "Soon, she'll be able to beat us all with her drum sticks."

"I'm not even going to get into how wrong that sounds," Kathy held up her hand to block them all out. "So what's happening next weekend?"

"Right!" Luna's eyes lit up, scrambling out of Molly's grasp. "I forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Molly tilted her head with Candace.

"Since I'm up here, I better have a go at asking him. There's no way the buffoon is going to remember to ask _me_ out," Luna fluffed her skirt.

"Wait…" Molly suddenly remembered her crowded calendar.

"The Moon Viewing Festival? Yeah, that's coming up," Kathy crossed her arms. "Who are you going with?"

"Oh, dear…" Candace held a hand to her lips, her eyes wavering.

"Don't worry, Sis. I'm asking if Luke and Bo are free. It'll be an interesting evening, but at least we won't be alone. How embarrassing!" Luna giggled.

"Kathy? Who are you going with?" Molly became increasingly worried.

"Oh…" Kathy blushed, avoiding looking at the Blacksmith's and twiddling her fingers. "Uh… Owen… kind of asked me…"

"He did?" Molly sounded disappointed.

"Wow, that's so great, Kathy!" Candace put a hand on Kathy's arm in congratulations.

"Yeah, you're going with a gorilla," Luna snorted, receiving a challenging glare from the blonde.

"H-how'd he ask you?" Candace frantically attempted to change the subject.

Luckily, it worked, and Kathy rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I was working my shift, and he wrote it on a napkin. I almost threw it away, but I'm so glad I saw it! It was really sweet, and we had a talk about it. He's picking me up, so we can walk there together."

"How romantic," Candace smiled dreamily.

"That's really cool, Kathy," Molly smiled only halfway. She was disappointed in herself that she couldn't be genuinely happy for her best friend. Instead, she was too worried about being humiliated next weekend when she'd show up alone without even a friend to share the night with.

"Well, what about you, Molly?" Kathy prodded. It was mostly to get the spotlight off of her, but she was also pushing to see if Chase finally asked her out on a proper date.

Molly kicked a rock, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Well… yeah… um…"

"Oh my God, you're going alone," Luna gasped. She was quick to give her a comforting half-hug, full of things her friend needed to hear. Or… what she thought would be helpful, anyways. "I'm sure no one's asked you yet because they think you're taken or something. It can be kind of intimidating asking a girl who lives on her own and is well-established. You're really pretty."

"Luna," Kathy scolded, glad Molly looked shell-shocked from the bombardment of almost compliments and was completely oblivious. "I'm _sure_ that the right guy just hasn't gotten up the nerve. Besides, it's over a week away. No big deal."

"Yeah," Molly nodded with a bright smile. She rubbed her arm, feeling chilly in the mountain's shadow.

"Well, I'm off! Got to go ask a smelly lumberjack if he can be bearable sober. Come on, Candace – I'll need back-up. Bo can't say no to a face like yours~!" Luna took her sister by the hand and merrily skipped off down the hill to the Carpentry.

"Oh, dear!" Candace repeated with a yelp, face turning crimson at the exploits of her confident sister.

"Hey," Kathy got Molly's attention back away from her sorrowful daydreams of lonely festivals. "Wanna come with me?"

Molly knew it was about time for Kathy to start her shift waitressing at the bar, so she nodded. She could use a hot meal away from this scary, dating stuff.

* * *

><p>"I've <em>got<em> to find somebody!"

"I thought you were settled on going alone," Kathy rolled her eyes, setting down her platter for Chase to fill up.

"It's weird!" Molly wailed, unable to finish her usual stir fry. The broccoli was in an impressive pyramid in the center of her plate.

"It's not weird!" Kathy laughed. She ruffled Molly's hair. "You'll be fine."

Molly set her hairdo back in place. "I will not… Every year we've gone together. Just the four or five of us, you know? It never felt like a romantic festival because no one treated it that way. Except for all of the grown-ups, but they were all married with kids, so it wasn't _weird!"_

Kathy shrugged. "We've all gotta grow up sometime."

"I'm not listening!" Molly clapped her hands over her ears.

"What's going on now?" Chase came by, his arms full of hot plates. He set them all expertly down on Kathy's tray to balance it out.

"Molly's off to Neverland!" Kathy giggled with an eye roll.

"What?" His face contorted with irritation.

"I'm still not listening~!" Molly remained stubborn to the muffled chatter.

"She refuses to grow up because she can't find a _date_ to the Moon Viewing Festival," she winked without any other hint of subtlety, hoisting up the tray and making a speedy exit.

Chase swallowed, instantly reddening at the prospect. But when he turned to Molly, she was still humming to herself, kicking her legs back and forth, with a neat pyramid of broccoli on her plate. _God, why did I have to fall for such an idiot?_

Frustrated, he snatched up her plate and threw her creation into the trash.

"Hey!" Molly shouted, watching as Chase tossed her dirty plate into the sink and disappeared to the stove. "Why do you always do that?!"

"I told you before not to play with your food!" He called over his shoulder, flipping a fish filet.

"So you just go ahead and steal it? I paid good money for that broccoli!" Molly griped. When she didn't get an answer in return, she sighed and slunk her chin to the counter, folding her arms to hide her head in them.

"Having a rough night, Molly?" Hayden's voice asked. The drink mixer was in his hand, shaking the icy concoction around noisily in front of her.

"No!" She lied. It took a minute of Hayden being silent and fixing drinks for her to change her answer. Molly freed herself from her arms and looked up at him pitifully. "Yes…! Why can't I get a date for the festival? I really don't want to go alone, but I don't want to miss it… and third-wheeling isn't an option – the girls would _kill_ me."

"Chase, you've got a customer," Hayden disappeared as fast as he had come, no more subtle than his snarky daughter.

"Yeah?" He appeared from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron. Still, the only person at the counter was Molly. Chase scowled after his boss, but the man was smirking and setting out drinks for Kathy to deliver down the bar.

"Chase, could you not be sarcastic for once?" Molly plead, heaving out a big sigh and sitting up straight and polite. "And could you tell me how to get a date for the Moon Viewing Festival? Just this once? Please?"

It was almost too easy, but Chase still didn't want to take the plunge. Or at least his mouth didn't, as his tongue seemed to swell to the size of a grapefruit, rendering him unable to attempt speech. His stomach felt like he'd eaten sour grapes, and his eyes were blurring at the girl swimming before him. Was this _supposed_ to make him feel ill?

"You could…" Chase just _knew_ all eyes were on him. He could feel it. He held his shoulder, fiddling with the apron strap there. It only reminded him he'd have to wash his hands again before going back to the stove. _The stove!_ "Hold that thought."

Molly watched as Chase scrambled to the kitchen and moved the various vegetables simmering, half of them scorched beyond repair. He cursed and doctored the dishes as best as he could before taking them out where Kathy was now waiting. _Great, an audience._

"What did you say?" Molly prompted, looking more like an idiot than ever. Even Kathy had to admit her friend was terribly dense as to not see where this was going.

"Yeah, Chase, where were you?" Kathy added, getting a look that nearly froze her solid.

Now with her best friend at her side, Molly was twice as intimidating as before – if that was somehow possible. Chase rolled his eyes, sick of the whole ordeal, and came right out with it: "Why don't you just go with me? Okay?!"

Molly didn't seem at all surprised by the suggestion, much less at the livid execution. Her brow scrunched as she pushed away from the table. "Huh. I was sure you would have asked Maya…"

"Well…" flustered, Chase ran a hand through his hair, now having to wash his hands _again_. "I didn't!"

Kathy was bouncing on her heels, knowing she should get going with the orders, but she was desperate to hear Molly's answer. Chase was just glad there was nothing on the stove to burn because she was taking _forever _to reply.

Molly snapped her fingers and laughed.

Both Kathy and Chase looked to each other with the same, puzzled expression. Not the reaction they were expecting.

"That's right! We're _friends!_ Friends can totally go together! Why didn't I think of this?! Thanks so much, Chase!" Molly hopped off the barstool, slapped the money for her meal down, and ran right out the door in excitement. Her problem was solved.

Chase just stared, completely stupefied. Kathy picked up the tray, making a face. "Ouch…"


	8. Chapter Eight

Poor Chase. I swear, if Molly isn't more careful, she's bound to lose him! Which brings us to this chapter. That wasn't daunting at all! Hahahaha. Ahem.

Thanks so much CAPJHMPAgirl, MikariStar, and XxBlue and CrimsonxX for your reviews! I'll try to make updates more frequent than once a week, so we can get this story on a roll!

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

* * *

><p>Chase scowled at the door before him. The old porch dangerously creaked underneath him, so he took a tentative step backwards, staring down at his sandaled feet in apprehension. He looked back up and saw her grimy porch light covered in gnats and spider webs.<p>

He took a deep breath and ruffled his hair. _Just a quick visit. Go over what's going on tonight. Get things straight… for once._

For a split second, Chase felt stupid wearing his apron. Why hadn't he taken it off? Show her he could be casual and flippant or whatever. He was going to take it off and attempt to stuff it in his pocket, but then that would look even dumber. Chase held his head. _Why was this so stressful?!_

"You're gonna tell her straight. Fix this. Just say it. I don't… wanna be friends – er – just friends," Chase coached himself under his breath, his hand hovering over the door. He nodded and relaxed his shoulders. "Yeah, just like that… that easy…"

He knocked and received silence. Glaring again, Chase pounded his fist against the door. "Hey! Molly!"

Chase stood back and checked his watch. It was noon. _Shouldn't her chores be done by now? Well, where was she?!_

He jumped off her porch and scanned her fields. Her crops were few and far between; messy compared to her usual work. Molly's little grove of orange trees were out of season, but a few fruits in the shade were still budding despite the rather chilly fall. Chase smiled, remembering climbing those trees with her before her mother came out and started yelling about how they'd break their necks… He rubbed the spot of his elbow where he had fallen just as she promised they would, thinking about how Molly had sat there with him in the clinic while he got his cast.

Chase marched to the barn, suddenly having a feeling he knew where she was. And true to his hunch, he pushed the door aside with a heave and found his friend inside. Sunlight trailed behind him, casting a long shadow of his silhouette across the dirt floor.

"Oh! How's it going, Chase?" Molly greeted him, giving her cow a cheery pat and letting the book in her hand swing back and forth at her side as she walked up to him.

"Hey," he said, determined to get directly to the point. He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Practicing!" Molly held up the book for him to see.

Chase squinted and read the title: _"'Voice Lessons for the Vocally Impaired…_' Molly, you're not impaired."

"Well, it was as good a place to start as any. This was the only book Barbara had in stock," she shrugged, turning away and giving her cow a scratch under the chin. "And the acoustics are great in my barn! Besides, if I practice in here with Lil, I can gauge how well I hit the note by her expression. So far, she doesn't like my B flat, but I'm working on it."

Chase rolled his eyes. He should have known she'd be doing something this strange.

"So," Molly closed her book and held it close. She bit her lip. "You excited for tonight?"

Surprised she had brought up the subject, he awkwardly grinned and shuffled his feet. _Now or never_. "Yeah, about that… um…"

Molly's face fell. "What…? Don't tell me you can't make it!"

"No! Not that!" Chase waved his hands a bit too frantically to keep up with his attempt at looking natural. He grumbled at his mistakes and quickly went on. "No, I just need to… talk to you."

"Oh," she blinked owlishly at him, tilting her head. "About what?"

"About… uh… what…" he struggled for words, glad that the strange lighting most likely hid how dark his face was getting. His head felt wobbly. No position felt comfortable so he constantly scuffled about, pulling at his collar and kicking his sandal. He put a hand over his eyes, but it didn't help. "About…! What food… what food you'd… like me to bring…?"

Molly was a little lost, watching Chase sigh in disappointment and seemed to argue silently with himself. She knit her brow. "Is that all?"

"Yeah!" He barked, angry at himself for failing again. "So?"

"Hm…" the bright look in her eyes returned. She took his arm and escorted him out of the stuffy barn. "Sandwiches are always a good choice for a picnic, yeah? Ooo, and if you want to bring some of those cookies you make with the little frosting swirls on 'em, then I can bring some herb tea and a couple snacks! Sound fair?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Chase agreed. He'd just have to tell her that night. Hopefully, it would be easier somehow, but he highly doubted anything with Molly was going to be remotely easy.

"Oh, and I'd love it if you'd bring an instrument! Your guitar or flute – whatever you want. I'd love your help polishing up that song," she continued, swaying in excitement.

"Yeah, fine," he replied, stopping by her house and looking away.

"Are you okay?" Molly was staring at his face, examining his obvious flush. She held her palm up to his forehead. "Are you sure you can go? You look a little sick…"

"No, I can go – I want to go! Jeez!" Chase swatted her hand away. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked down the path away from her farm. "Just… whatever! I'll see you at seven! And you better not be late!"

"I will not!" She huffed. Molly frowned, watching his retreating back. "What's his problem…?"

* * *

><p>Molly breathed in the fresh autumn air with a sigh, twirling and spreading her arms out to the sky. She opened her eyes, staring up at the peeking stars that were still washed out by the blues, purples, oranges, and reds of a gorgeous sunset over the ocean.<p>

She couldn't help but giggle to herself in anticipation. This festival wasn't going to suck like she thought it would. She wasn't going to be all alone this year. The canvas bag in her hands swung in rhythm in front of her as she trekked down the path, and a soft smile grew on her lips. _She could always count on Chase to make things better…_

Molly stared back up in wonderment at the sky. She could already see the beginnings of the full moon just over the treetops of Fugue Forest. Suddenly, her reveries were interrupted by an attacker hitting her full force from behind.

"Ah!" Molly screamed in surprise, dropping her bag. She grabbed the legs that were kicking at her hips and hiked up the person now getting a free piggyback ride. "What the hell?!"

"How did you _not_ hear me running at you?" Kathy admonished, hugging Molly's shoulders to latch on. She laughed and furiously rubbed her friend's hair. "You space cadet!"

"Ah!" Molly wailed again, this time laughing and struggling. She spun around, but there was no way to make Kathy stop. "I'll drop you!"

Kathy let go, and Molly staggered. The blonde tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and picked up Molly's bag, replacing the thermos that had rolled out of it. She sniffed the lid. "Hm… herb tea?"

"Mm-hm!" She nodded, taking her things from Kathy like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Chase is bringing cookies!"

"Sounds like some picnic," Kathy's smile betrayed her teasing tone as she crossed her arms.

"Good gracious, Molly – are you okay?" Luna had finally caught up with them. She was holding her heart in worry. "I told Kathy not to do something so reckless, but you know how she is."

Kathy rolled her eyes, but Molly laughed and hugged Luna in greeting. "I'm fine, Luna! Are you excited for the festival?"

"Sure, I suppose," the girl stuck her nose in the air, primping her lacey skirt. The rest of her travelling companions slowly rounded the corner after her. "Trying to convince Candace she'd have a good time all week has taken its toll on my own enthusiasm."

"Aw!" Kathy and Molly cooed in unison. They dashed past her grumpy sister and hug tackled a very well-dressed, blushing Candace.

"Hey, guys!" Candace greeted as she was squished between them like a sandwich.

"You look great, Candace!" Kathy broke away first. "Bo, you lucky bastard."

The sandy-haired boy (who looked like he hadn't even changed out of his work clothes for the day) recoiled from the waitress, turning a color to match Candace's complexion.

Luke slapped his shoulder. "Yeah, we sure got a good deal, eh, Bo? Hottest girls on the peninsula came to _us_."

"Er…" Bo mumbled, too shy to protest to any of the commotion.

"I love what you've done with your hair," Molly complimented, lightly touching the curly bun atop the girl's head.

"Th-thanks…" Candace smiled, wringing her hands underneath her sweater sleeves.

"Don't get so cocky," Luna scolded Luke first, sending him a reprimanding glare. She swatted at Molly and Kathy to free her sister, linking arms with the girl. "And I'll have you know that I fought Candace tooth and nail to get her hair this nice!"

"I don't think Candace could fight anything 'tooth and nail,'" Molly chuckled as the group began the walk across the bridge to Flute Fields together.

"Yeah," Kathy agreed. "I bet it was more like you tackling her to the floor and threatening her with a hot curling iron."

Luna stuck out her tongue.

Molly nudged Kathy with her elbow. "You look nice, too, Kathy."

"Thanks, Molly," she bit her lip, rubbing her bare shoulder. The yellow dress with an orange collar was very summery, but Kathy was what Molly liked to refer to as hot-blooded. She was almost never cold, and the dress suited her well. Kathy fanned the skirt and scuffed her cowgirl boot on the stone below them. "It was my mama's."

She smiled at that, feeling more somber. Molly bit her tongue before whispering to her. "But… I thought Owen was supposed to walk with you? Where is he?"

"Oh," Kathy shrugged, her expression never hinting she was bothered by the change of plans. "He had to walk with Chloe. It was a family tradition, and I don't mind. We're meeting up at the festival grounds."

"Okay," Molly smiled, still slightly worried. She couldn't put her finger on why, but she wasn't sure about Kathy and Owen dating. Kathy had always had a thing for him, and Owen seemed to finally realize it and started asking her out. It seemed like such a good turn for her friend, but it made Molly nervous. _I'm probably just scared of losing her. She'll start a family and won't see me as much…_ Molly ruefully smirked at the sad truth and watched her bag swing.

"Hello~!" Kathy hollered with her yodeling voice, waving her arm above her head. They had reached Flute Fields, and families were gathering in small groups around the base of Moon Hill.

Molly looked to where Kathy was waving and spotted Owen with his grand-father and little cousin at the crossroads. He turned and waved back to them. Molly looked away.

Kathy smiled down at her friend, not noticing her apprehension. "Looks like this is it! Have fun tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, sure… You, too!" Molly beamed.

"Oh my God, just _go_, Kathy! She'll be fine," Luna giggled, pushing Kathy forward and making her stumble.

Embarrassed, Kathy gave them a short wave before jogging to meet up with her date. Molly watched her nervously twirl her hair as she greeted Owen. He was quite the gentleman, admiring her dress and offering her his arm as he brought up a picnic basket and left with her to find a spot. Kathy turned back once, looking for Molly, and locked eyes with her. She crossed her fingers for her.

Molly did the same back at her friend until she disappeared in the crowd. She sighed. "Maybe it'll work out…"

"Of course it'll work out," Luna scolded Molly this time. "Sheesh, you two worry about each other like mother hens. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Right!" Molly agreed. "I'll see you girls later, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Luna held out her arm horizontally in a silly stance until Luke got the picture. Though she had wanted him to link arms, he grabbed her hand and held it. Molly was surprised to see her blush. "J-just get out of here! Go find Chase!"

Molly laughed and ran off, giving Candace a supportive nod which was returned. Though it was sure to be an awkward night with Bo, Molly felt like it would be refreshing for them both to be with someone more like themselves. They could watch Luna argue and Luke bounce off the walls all evening, which was sure to entertain and break any silences.

Molly chuckled at the image, almost wishing she could third-wheel with them at the last minute. She slowly wound her way through the different villagers, receiving and returning quick waves of recognition as she passed them by. A stone had seemed to lodge itself in the pit of her stomach, and her heart was rising like a balloon up her throat until she was sure she couldn't talk if she tried.

Finally, she found the face she was looking for. A surly expression, arms crossed, and peachy hair none the less tamer tonight. Molly smiled and felt the nervousness get left behind in the crowd like a forgotten memory.

"Hi," she tried to get his attention, but she was sure she was too quiet.

Chase turned anyways, looking surprised. He waited until she stood beside him to show her his watch. "See that? 7:02. You're two minutes late."

"Just keeping you on your toes," she teased.

He smirked and picked up the basket at his feet. They argued a minute about which spot was better, as Chase wanted to find a spot on the hill, and Molly wanted to sit on his roof since it was 'right there.' They finally came to a compromise and hopped the fence behind his house, sprawling out Chase's scratchy afghan in the grassy meadow.

"Wow, you can see everybody from over here," Molly pointed up the hill where the villagers were positioned in clusters to see the moon growing in size over Horn Ranch.

"Yeah, where we should be…" Chase complained, but he was secretly glad Molly had insisted on a spot less travelled. The whole village wouldn't be staring them down this way.

Molly kicked off her shoes and dug in her pocket for a flashlight, flicking the switch and shining it into the basket Chase brought. The sun had all but disappeared, and the festival would soon start. She handed out parcels and Tupperware to Chase one by one to set out. "Ooo, the cookies look great!"

"Have one," he shrugged, popping open the lid of the sandwiches.

"Mm~" Molly hummed, already with a cookie hanging out of her mouth as she crossed her legs and opened the tea thermos. Thermos in one hand, she took the sugar cookie out of her mouth with the other. "Wah, these are amazing! You're such a crazy good cook, Chase. It blows me away every time."

Chase smiled as he too kicked off his shoes and plopped down on the blanket a safe distance away from her. He chose a sandwich and bit into it.

They watched the moon for a while in silence. Molly had noticed he had packed his flute in the basket, but she didn't want to bother with the song anymore. She cocked her head as she stared up at the stars. "I wonder if Kathy's having fun with Owen."

"Oh?" Chase asked, pretending to be uninterested in whatever the horse girl was doing. However much they teased each other and argued, Kathy was somehow a close friend of his none the less.

"Yeah, he asked her. I guess they've been kind of on and off dating. Casual, you know?" Molly found a sandwich for herself and munched on it, hugging her knees from the wind. "It's kind of weird, but I hope it works out in the end."

"You cold?" Chase eyed her shivering.

"Sorta," Molly admitted. She shouldn't have left her jacket back at home, but it was warm in the sunshine. She pulled the cuffs of her long sleeve shirt down over her hands.

It was the perfect opportunity no matter how cheesy it was, and begrudgingly despite himself, Chase scooted closer to her on the blanket. Once their shoulders touched, Molly leaned into him, and his hope rose.

"Thanks for coming out and humoring me," she said, startling him. "I know I'm kind of all over the place and annoying, but it means a lot that you're here. You're a great friend."

_Yeah, about that._ But Chase still couldn't bring up the cringe-worthy subject. He just knew he was going to get shot down. He yawned.

"Tired?" Molly guessed. He nodded. She remembered that the cookies were fresh, and he probably spent half the day making them. They had the frosting swirls as promised, but that took some extra effort to get done. She sat up and moved back, stretching out her legs. "Go on – lay down."

Chase found he was too drowsy to worry about being awkward, and that was an exhausting existence to begin with. He sprawled out on the blanket, resting his head in her lap. He was almost comfortable until his barrettes went missing one by one and his hair fell over his eyes. "Molly, what are you doing?"

"Just fiddling," she answered, plucking the bobby pins and listening for the quiet sound it made. She put them up in her own hair, making one side of her bangs disappear back into her brown waves.

Chase rolled up to face the sky and pulled back the hair from his eyes. "Molly…"

She looked down, thinking something was wrong. "Huh?"

At his angle, her hairdo looked even worse. Bobby pins were not her style. "Is this it? Is this… I don't know – all we are?"

Molly, once again, didn't understand the depth of his question. "I guess so… for now."

"For _now?_" There was no hiding his slightly offended puzzlement.

"Well, until we hit the big time!" Molly pulled up some grass, letting it rain back down. She clapped her hands free of any dirt she picked up with it. "When you've got your cooking show, and it's on all of those cable channels on the TV. And I'll play the theme song for ya. Ba-ba-boop!"

Though disappointed, Chase chuckled and threw his arm over his face. "Yeah, sounds about right."

Molly wasn't quite done humming out the intro for his imaginary cooking show. "On a plate or in a cup, you can watch Chef Chase serve it up~!"

"Will you shut up?" He laughed.

"It's a cooking show!" She continued, giggling and dodging his hands trying to cover her mouth to make her stop. "Where he cooks things…! Cooks all the things…!"

"Molly!"

"Never burns 'em~!"

"Will you—!"

"He hates broccoli~"

"I do not! I hate how you play with it."

"Hates fun—"

"That's a bit harsh."

"—and art!"

"Pfft."

* * *

><p>The festival was coming to a close. Bedtimes were to be followed by the younger residents, and tired farmers and early risers packed up their things to face another morning. Most of the couples remained a bit longer to keep watching the sky with one another, but Molly was one of those unfortunate people who had to get up as promptly as possible.<p>

Molly and Chase wandered up the path where people were parting ways and saying goodnight. The moonlight provided enough light to walk by, glowing off of the grass like a celestial lamp. Chase followed after her even though his house was back down the road where they had come from. Molly didn't notice how illogical his company was as she had spotted Kathy standing alone at the crossroads.

"Kathy!" Molly waved, running up to her. Chase trailed behind at a normal pace.

"Hey!" Kathy smiled. She was looking over her friend like she'd see a visible change. "You two have fun?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Molly shrugged as spritely as ever.

Kathy frowned, looking back at Chase who was wearing a subdued expression. Molly's hand waved in front of her face.

"So? Did Owen have to go back early with Chloe or something?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Kathy said. She rocked on her heels, blushing. "But it was a lot of fun while he was here!"

"Aw," Molly mocked, poking her friend's nose. "You two are adorable."

"Well? What about _you_ two?" Kathy grabbed Molly's wrists to keep her from any further prodding.

"Huh?" Molly cocked her head to the side. She turned to find Chase had caught up with her at last. "Like I said, it was fun. Why?"

"Oh, gee, no particular reason," Kathy said, not bothering to hide her questioning look at Chase. He shrugged in response.

"What's going on between you guys? What do you know that I don't?" Molly broke free of Kathy's grip and stared between them like she was watching a ping pong match.

Kathy was glaring at Chase, and he was glowering back at her. "Just drop it, Kathy. There's no point."

"Drop what?" Molly parroted.

"Chase~!"

All three heads turned to see a silhouette quickly approaching in the dark. Her short bob and poofy dress gave her away before the light of the moon did. Panting hard from her run, she stopped short and waved to the two girls. "Hiya, Molly! Hi, Kathy!"

"Hey, Maya!" Molly grinned at seeing the contagiously happy girl, but she was reluctant to let her suspicions about Kathy and Chase drop so easily. "Great Moon Viewing Festival, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Maya half-heartedly agreed, digging her shoe into the path. "Got stuck with the family. I hope I get a date next year!"

"I'm sure you will," Molly tried to subtly poke Chase, but he hit her hand away. She gave him an annoyed look.

"Molly, it's late," Kathy intervened, hoping things wouldn't start getting messy. She took her friend by the shoulders and pulled her towards the bridge. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

"Well, I just wanted to say hi," Maya started on her farewells. She held out her arms, and Molly obliged with a quick hug. "Good luck on your farm! I hope winter's not too hard on ya."

"Thanks, Maya," Molly said, breaking apart from her as Maya went to give a friendly side hug to Kathy. "Keep up the good work at the Inn! I'll be in soon for some sweets. Gotta stock up for the cold weather."

"Right!" Maya giggled. She ran to Chase, giving him a hug as well, but he didn't return it as he was feeling especially sour at this point. Maya pouted at his listlessness and gave him a peck on the cheek, pulling at the spot. "Daw, you're so grumpy but so cute! Okay, good night, everybody!"

"Night, Maya!" Molly waved as the girl ran off to meet back up with her parents. Kathy was hiding her horrified face, and Chase was furiously wiping his cheek like a child. Molly lightly punched his shoulder. "She's so obviously into you! Jeez, Chase, you better get a move on that before she loses hope in you."

And that did it. Chase turned away and held up a hand in farewell, not bothering to pursue the subject or the abuse he was getting any further that night.

His abrupt leave startled Molly and made her scared she said something wrong. She turned to Kathy and found her friend glaring at her. It was something she rarely ever saw. Kathy crossed her arms and shook her head. "That was really mean."

Molly faltered. "Wh-what did I say…?"

"What did you say?!" Kathy gaped. She _still_ hadn't gotten it. "God, Molly, do I have to spell it out for you? Chase just tried to take you on a _date_ tonight, because he's liked you for _eons_, and you just told him to hit the road! How can you be that thick?"

Kathy hadn't realized how harsh her words were until she saw her friend indeed _was_ that thick. Molly's lip quivered and her hands went to her face as panic clearly took her over. Kathy reached out to her, but her comforts went unnoticed. "Molly, I'm sorry… I honestly thought you knew, and it was your way of rejecting him, but… Molly, I'm so sorry! Are you okay, darlin?'"

"I… I…" Molly felt numb and flabbergasted all at once, looking back to where Chase disappeared but only finding blurry darkness as her tears spilled over. "He what…?"


	9. Chapter Nine

Whee! We're finally at this chapter. I feel like this story is so slow, but things start picking up faster and faster. Ah, so ready to get things rolling for these girls!

Thanks for your lovely reviews, Swag Giraffe and MikariStar! I appreciate the virtual dessert. xD

Another chapter's coming really soon! Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

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><p>Kathy hugged a pillow, folding her legs cross-legged across the bed as she leaned against the wall. She had a wry smile, for though she was sad to see her friend so worked up, it was nice to finally have things out in the open.<p>

"I mean… I don't like Chase like that!" Molly ranted, pacing feverishly back and forth across her floor. Both girls were in their pajamas, and it was just hours after the festival ended in the dull hours of the morning. Kathy suppressed a yawn. "I, I mean, like… _how?!_ How did this happen? Why?!"

"You've been friends for years," Kathy reasoned, patting the pillow across her tummy like a drum in her boredom. "I guess it's only natural."

"Natural?!" Molly threw her arms in the air. She couldn't stand all of the posters and magazine clippings she had of Mikhail on her walls staring her down, making her feel like an even bigger idiot. She tugged at her hair and spun on her heel, coming to a stop and facing the biggest poster she had of him by her bed. "Natural…?"

"Sure," Kathy fanned with her hand. "I mean… didn't you ever think about it? Ever cross your mind, at least?"

"No…" Molly admitted, hugging her stomach like she was going to be sick. "And that's what makes me so worried…"

Kathy watched her friend turn away and go to her kitchen. The fridge light came on, and the door slammed. After she checked the freezer, Molly emerged with a tub of vanilla ice cream. She pried open one of her drawers, brought out two spoons, and pushed it closed with her hip. Molly sloppily tossed the lid across the floor and dug into the dessert. She crashed next to Kathy, offering her the second spoon.

"You know I don't like sweets," Kathy turned up her nose. Molly stared flatly at her until she laughed. Kathy snatched the spoon from her. "Fine! For special occasions…"

"Here's to being blind as a bat," Molly toasted, raising her spoon high before stuffing it in her mouth. Kathy already felt a brain freeze coming on after her first taste. She shuddered. Molly offered the cardboard quart container, but Kathy refused. Molly helped herself to some more. "Really, though. How could I be so _blind?_"

"Welcome to the club of knowing things everyone's known for decades, honey," Kathy said, licking what was left on her spoon.

"It has not been decades…" Molly defended herself in a mumble. She waited for the vanilla to melt on her tongue.

"So?" Kathy asked.

"So?" Molly mimicked her tone, scraping the rim.

Kathy sat up straighter, tossing her friend a pillow. Molly took it and propped it up behind herself, getting comfortable against the wall. "You going to think about it?"

"I have to," Molly answered. She dug into the ice cream, taking out an unholy amount. "Can't seem to think of anything else…"

The blonde grinned, pulling her hair over her shoulder. She had curled it to impress her date, but now it was a crusty mess of hairspray. She tried to comb through it with her hand, but her fingers got stuck.

Molly stared off into space, trying to get everything straightened out in her head. Lots of things started to make sense, and she felt gut-wrenching guilt over half of them. He probably didn't even like hanging out with her at this point. She voiced her concern aloud. "How am I ever gonna face him again?! Everything will be awkward and silent and uncomfortable… We'll… we'll never be friends again…"

Kathy frowned. _Did that mean… she was still rejecting him?_ She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well… just give it some time, okay? You don't have to make up your mind over night or anything. It's a lot to take in."

Molly sniffled as new tears formed and leaked out. She stuck the spoon into the melting ice cream so it wouldn't get lost in her sheets, and she set the tub on her night stand. "It's just… e-ever since… ever since it happened, I mean… W-we've always been friends, b-but we didn't get close until after, a-and… I just can't imagine moving on without him… He made everything o-okay again…"

Tears coming to her own eyes, Kathy pulled on Molly's arm. "Come here…"

She obliged, crawling across her bed and falling into her friend for a much needed hug. The hiccupping sobs soon died, and Kathy sniffed and wiped the tears off her own cheeks, looking at the make-up stuck in them.

"We're a mess," Molly said.

Kathy laughed, patting her friend's hair. "Yeah… Yeah, we are."

Molly's eyes felt heavy from the late hour and the havoc of emotions. She rubbed her face, letting her eyelids droop even though the lights were on, her ice cream was puddling, and she was cold in her shorts since Kathy had the blanket.

"Molly?"

"Hm?" She hummed, not opening her eyes.

"Just think about it, okay? I mean… how bad could it be? Yeah?" Kathy jostled her shoulder, still trying to put a good word in for Chase.

Molly curled in on herself, her brow furrowing. "Alright…"

"Good girl," Kathy gave her head a pat, much more awake than her friend. Molly felt the bed shift as Kathy hopped up, and she heard her collect the ice cream. "Where'd you put the lid? Molly?"

But Molly didn't hear her. She was already drifting off, lost in memories she had either repressed or sincerely forgotten. To make things easier. And the sun a little brighter…

Everyone was crying.

Tears. So many tears. Sniffling and sobbing. There was hugging and shouting and soft words of comfort. Molly distinctly remembered Gill's face where he was standing behind his father. It was pitying. Sad. Understanding.

Paper work. Hayden was there. Kathy was holding onto her, and she wouldn't let her go. Molly's shoulder was wet from the girl's ceaseless bawling. Hayden's eyes were glistening. Molly couldn't recall another time he ever cried.

The steps. The steps that seemed to go on forever and ever. Molly's feet stumbled down them. Stopped. She couldn't see. The numbness was ebbing away, leaving a terrible ache. A hole. Like someone had ripped out her heart and replaced it with someone else's. Foreign. It couldn't be her.

She remembered falling. Sitting. Holding her head. Not believing. Shaking. Tears blurring everything out.

Footsteps behind her. Slowly, smartly descending after her. They stopped just behind—

Molly's eyes snapped open. The room was bright in midday, but the sky was overcast. She shivered and found Kathy was all snuggled up, hogging the blanket and sprawled at the foot of the bed without a pillow. Molly kicked the sheet off and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

Looking down at her feet reminded her of her trail of thoughts last night. Or was it a dream? _Funny, it didn't feel like sleep at all…_

Molly held her head and waited a minute, focusing on the hardwood floor. Not concrete. Not stairs. She sighed.

Getting up, Molly felt sick after falling asleep with a mouthful of ice cream. She quickly freshened up in the bathroom, taking her time and not staring too long into the mirror. She emerged and slowed as her hand traced the wall. The door frame was littered with chips both accidental and intentional. Her eyes roved over the numbers and letters going all the way up to her shoulder.

When Molly looked out the window, she finally broke out of her dreariness. She could see her mailbox next to the house, and the red pole was back down.

Molly opened the door and dashed outside, hopping from foot to foot in the cold. A chilly breeze blew by as she flipped the mail box open, grabbing the lone letter inside. "Cold, cold, cold!"

The door slammed, and Kathy jumped up. "Ah! What?! Where's the sprinkles, little birdy?"

"Kathy! Wake up!" Molly shouted. She dived onto her bed, tearing open the envelope from the General Store and bouncing on the mattress and rattling her poor, drowsy friend.

"I'm up! I'm up! What is it?!" Kathy grouched, holding her head and sitting up. "Jeez, girly…"

Molly grabbed Kathy's shoulder and forced the letter to her nose. "Look!"

Kathy took the paper from her, squinting at the words and yawning. She read aloud: "'Dear Molly, I hope you're doing well down there on the farm…' Blah, blah, blah, pleasantries…" she gasped, "'Your shipment is in; I hope you can pick it up soon?!'"

Molly nodded, biting her lip in excitement. "The instruments are here!"

* * *

><p>"This was a <em>terrible<em> idea…" Luna huffed at her bangs, sitting before he pink drum set and eyeing it like it would come to life and eat her.

"Nonsense!" Kathy said, finally figuring out the amplifier. She set down the guide, picked up her guitar and strung it around her neck. She tested a chord, ripping through it at a massive volume. "Hell, yeah!"

Candace dived for the volume knob, turning it down a good deal. "A-are you guys sure about this?"

"You can't doubt me now!" Molly said, setting up the microphone on its stand. "We just got all of our cool stuff!"

Lucky for Luna's charm, the girls hadn't had a problem getting all of their equipment down to the Brass Bar from where it was delivered to the General Store since Luke was more than willing to 'date a chick in a girl band,' and Bo was roped into carrying a massive keyboard all the way down the mountain side by association. Even Kathy's now-very-official boyfriend Owen dropped his work for a couple of hours to help bring everything down.

"Cool stuff," Luna snorted, crossing her arms and holding both drumsticks. Candace shook her head in warning at her sister, but she was ignored. "Putting us into bankruptcy, more like it."

"Oh, shush! You're sitting here; you're in this mess with us," Kathy smirked, proudly holding up her guitar. "And we're not going to let all of our hard work go to waste. You all read your manuals, right?"

"Girls, the bar's opening soon," Hayden warned from the counter, slicing up lemons to put on the glass' rims.

"Okay, Papa!" Kathy huffed. She turned to Molly. "We better make this a quick first practice."

"Got it," Molly nodded. She turned to the girls. "Okay, for our first practice, I want all of us to play the first section of the song we wrote. See how the instruments complement. We'll focus on getting just one song together and see how we do, and on our off days when we can't get together here, just practice your scales and get _better!_"

"Yeah, yeah, you drill sergeant – let's start already!" Luna whined.

"Okay!" Molly giggled, running up to her mic and tapping it for a test. She spoke into it, her voice echoing throughout the bar much louder than she expected. "Everyone ready?"

"Let's rock!" Kathy cheered, fist pumping proudly.

"Oh, dear…" Candace mumbled, nervously positioning her fingers.

"And 1, 2, 3!" Molly called out.

Everyone within a fifty foot radius covered their ears as a nasty screeching echoed out from their instruments, filling the vicinity at a deafening decibel. Molly jumped for the nearest amp and turned the volume all of the way down until the notes subsided, and her ears stopped ringing. "Okay, that wasn't what I expected…"

"We're terrible!" Luna groaned, slowly uncovering her ears. "I knew it!"

"It was probably something with the amplifier… right, Molly?" Kathy doubtfully looked to her friend who was crawling around on all fours to inspect the equipment.

"Let's not do that again, guys…" Candace wrung her hands. She'd never heard something so loud in her life, let alone been the cause of it. She was almost afraid of the innocent-looking keyboard in front of her.

"Ah-ha! Actually, it was," Molly laughed, adjusting a cord's input and turning a few knobs. "There. Okay, now let's try that again nice and slow. Simple stuff. Back up rhythm on drums, light melody on keyboard, support on bass—"

"I'm the backbone," Kathy nodded with a mock bow.

"If you're the backbone, I'm the soul," Luna one-upped her.

"Do we have to be body parts…?" Candace asked with a disgusted look.

Molly giggled, letting out an unsteady breath. "And it's up to me with the words… Okay, we can do this. Ready, girls?"

"Right!" Kathy said.

"Um, okay…" Candace carefully laid her hands back on the keys.

"Let's get this over with!" Luna cheered, her foot on the pedal.

"Alright… 1, 2, 3!" Molly counted them in.

On their second attempt, the girls were pleasantly surprised. Hayden was just glad they weren't going to shatter any glass this time around. He smiled as the disjointed notes actually sounded like rusty music. Luna repetitively tapped the snare, every now and again rattling the cymbal lightly. Her tongue was between her lips a she concentrated. Kathy waited for her cues from Candace, strumming a light cord that kept the energy. Candace had the most sheet music to read, but she performed her part effortlessly. Her fingers glided over the keys to bring Molly and Chase's silly song "Just You" to life.

Molly was shaky. She closed her eyes to pretend there was no one listening to all of her mistakes, but she felt so drowned out by the music. By the time the first chorus was over, she held up her hand and lowered it. The girls came to a stop.

"Wow! We didn't suck," Luna was genuinely surprised.

"Could've been a lot worse. Like the first time," Kathy laughed, feeling proud.

"Do you really think it wasn't bad?" Candace smiled, finally looking excited. "I-I didn't hear anyone miss anything…"

"Couldn't hear me at all…" Molly chuckled, rubbing her hair.

"You just need to work on your power," Kathy advised. She walked over and tapped Molly's chin up. "Don't rely on the microphone to do all of the work for you. Really get through it."

"Since when did you know so much about singing?" Luna asked with a snide smirk.

"I just know Molly's got more in her than she's giving," Kathy shrugged.

Molly bit her lip in embarrassment. She clapped her hands when she saw Hayden go into the back again for the final dinner prep. "Okay! You guys… I think we actually have a chance!"

The girls squealed and high-fived in excited celebration. Molly got their attention again as they turned everything off and pushed it to the side so the bar's dancer Selena could have the stage for the night. "I think I need the most practice and same with Luna, only because the drums are so new to her."

"No offense taken," Luan nodded, swinging on her heels.

"Wow!" Molly giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth as everyone gathered into a circle. She put her hand in the center. "We just had our first practice!"

Kathy, Luna, and then Candace stacked their hands over Molly's. They each exchanged enthusiastic grins. It was in their eyes. It wasn't just another phase. An idea. _They could actually do this._

"We're a band," Molly said, hardly able to contain herself. "We're a band!"

"Woohoo!" The girls cheered, throwing their hands in the air and bouncing around.

"Are they going to do this every night?" Ramsey asked, early as usual as he pulled himself out a chair.

"Looks like," Hayden chuckled, setting down a beer for the old man. He grunted, popping the top off on the edge of the table.


	10. Chapter Ten

Wah, we're finally in double digits! If you guys knew how long this is going to be, I'm almost afraid you'd hit the road. xD But don't worry! I finish everything I start, so it'll get done no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT (here's looking at you, _Survivor_).

Many thanks to MikariStar, CAPJHMPAgirl, Swag Giraffe, and XxTinyyxX for reviewing last chapter! I tried to write this as fast as I could with all I have going on, and I hope the next update comes even sooner. You guys are great; thanks for reading!

Also, an extra special thank you to the latest reviewer: Honestly. I'd love to see your song! I've got plenty written already, but I'd love to be able to include your song; it's so sweet of you to offer it for the story! I'd be more than glad to find a place for it. PM me any time! (That also goes to anyone else!)

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

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><p>A nasty tug on the leash didn't bother Molly. She gripped the leather tighter and pulled towards herself, her free hand resting under her chin as she leaned against the railing. The zebra in front of her swished its tail and refused to face the onlookers who had come to see him.<p>

Tucker pulled, clawing at the stones that made up the mosaic of the church plaza. His panting attempts to crawl closer to the lion went unheeded by his owner, so he whined pathetically. When that wasn't well received, he sat down in a pout.

"Molly, what are you doing?" Kathy tackled her shoulder, pressing all of her weight into it to get her friend's attention.

"Ow, what?!" Molly complained. She stood up straight and allowed herself to be carted off.

"Luna wants to get a good picture of the four of us," Kathy explained with a good-humored smirk. "She's got something in her head about building a portfolio or something or other for the booklet in our album."

"Album?! We've only got the one song!" Molly laughed. She whistled lightly, and Tucker perked up his ears. "Come on, boy! We better do what she wants."

The seasonal circus was in full swing. Villagers were all over the place like ants and were snapping pictures and oohing and ahing at the selection of exotic animals on display. Some of the critters performed exciting, eye-catching tricks which would always end in wondered applause, but the circus favorite was the regular lemur. Everyone in Harmonica Town knew his name was Lynn, and all of the children loved to chase the poor guy relentlessly. It was all in good fun, and Molly remembered chasing the free-roaming creature in her own time, but the lemur had become skittish over the years of abuse. Now, if anyone so much as approached to get a picture, Lynn would go flying across the plaza squeaking for his life with his ringed tail held high over his head.

Reggie was Molly's favorite, and she hung around his exhibit every time the circus came into town. He was a mild-mannered yet incredibly shy zebra. Whenever he turned warily to see Molly still there staring at him with those big, baleful eyes of his, her heart would just melt for him. She hoped that one day, he'd approach her, and her dedication to see him would finally be rewarded. And everyone would be super jealous.

Of course, Tucker's favorite was the lion Leopold. Every single time, Molly would have to keep him away from the pen or else Tucker would try to get too close. She almost never leashed Tucker, but for the circus, it was a given. One year Molly was scared stiff when her dog had managed to break his leash and put his paws against the bars, tongue lolling and friendly smile all ready and waiting for the feline's massive jaws. The ringmaster Theodore, who patrolled the circus grounds, helped get Tucker to safety, but ever since, Molly kept him close with an especially strong hold.

Another patrolling the circus was the mayor's son, Gill. Every circus, he'd track down Molly and try to kick her out since 'dog's weren't allowed,' but she'd insist Tucker meant no harm, and he enjoyed seeing the animals as much as anyone else. Reasoning with someone as stubborn with the rules as Gill, though, was pointless. So Molly grew accustomed to hiding from him every time the circus came to town.

"Okay, smile! Ah – wait! Get between us! Your face is getting cut off by Candace's hair," Luna turned and scolded her friends, physically moving them into position for the 100G shot she paid for. She pushed her sister, who took no offense, and pulled Molly forward. "You in front, for goodness' sake; you're shorter than Kathy."

"Aw, you're just trying to get closer to me," Molly feigned a dramatic pose.

"You'd wish!" Luna turned up her nose, folding her arms smartly across her torso.

"Will ya quit the taco fest? Simon's waiting to snap the picture," Kathy shut them up with her quip.

Barbara's husband, sheepish Simon, was looking pale as he watched the girls struggle in front of him. He nervously held his camera up for the photo, looking doubtful if they'd ever be ready. "Girls? Remember to say: 'cheese!'"

"Gouda!" Molly grinned, gripping Tucker's leash as he gave an unexpected jerk.

_Flash!_ Candace blinked, Molly's eyes were on Tucker, one of Kathy's eyes was half-lidded, and Luna was standing up straight with her hands folded and looking much too pristine. She wrinkled her nose at the Polaroid she received, grumbling in frustration. "I can't believe I paid 100G for this! You guys owe me a retake!"

"I think it's cute…" Candace tried to reassure her sister, but it only got her a glare. Not even Candace could fake sincerity with such a monstrous turnout.

"What's this photo series Kathy was talking about? You collecting pictures of us for our band?" Molly asked, reeling Tucker back to her side.

The girls got out of the way so Anissa and Jin could have a picture together. Luna puffed at her bangs in exasperation. "Yeah, I don't know… I just think it'd be a good idea to have some shots ready. Maybe make posters?"

"Ooo, that's a great idea!" Molly beamed.

It had been weeks, and the girls were improving. They had their song mastered. There were some goofs whenever they tried to experiment, but it was all a part of the learning process. And Hayden didn't cover his ears anymore when they played. Kathy and Candace were naturals, and even Luna was quickly catching on. Molly was getting better, but she still had loads of room for improvement. She had grown to practicing with her voice so much that her farm was getting the backburner. She only had one lousy eggplant to submit for the Harvest Festival this year.

"But what do we need posters for?" Kathy interjected, ruffling the thick fur atop Tucker's head and bobbing his floppy ear. "Sure, we've been practicing, but Papa's the only gig we got. And I feel like the patrons are getting few and far between the days we show up."

"Well, yeah, they're sick of the same song," Luna put her hands on her hips. She quickly turned to Molly in apology. "I mean, it's a great song! You know, it's just…"

"We need more," Molly agreed, biting her lip. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know, it's just… I haven't had any good ideas lately. Nothing's clicked."

"It'll be fine," Candace said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We can help you… right? What do you have started?"

Candace's support was so sweet, but Molly didn't have an answer for her. No one seemed to understand that Molly really didn't have _anything_. She wrote one song, sure, but they didn't grow on trees, and whatever muse Molly had all but vanished once the leaves started to fall. She knew what the trouble was, but she wasn't willing to admit how much she needed Chase to help her out… since she had been successfully avoiding him at all costs for nearly three weeks.

"Hey! Molly!" The cold voice startled the brunette. Gill was quickly marching over with a tired glower. "Really? Every time? How many times do I have to tell you – no dog's allowed during the circus!"

"Ah, it's the hall monitor!" Kathy greeted sarcastically with a wave.

"Gotta jet," Molly saluted to her friends. She whistled, and Tucker flew into step beside his master. He loved a good chase, and running from Gill was always an adventure. The two almost immediately disappeared in the crowds of people, the blond boy hot on their trail yelling warnings of a fine.

Luna pulled at the red cuffs of her coat and sighed. "Am I the only one feeling like we're going nowhere fast?"

Candace tentatively shook her head as she buttoned up her cardigan against an especially chilly breeze. "Maybe not nowhere… I think it's fun. Don't you?"

"Sure, it's great," Luna chuckled with her hands in her pockets.

"Just losing the point?" Kathy nodded knowingly.

Candace looked between their faces in panic. She quickly dived forward and pinched each of their arms. "N-none of that, you guys! You can't give up now!"

"I never said that!" Luna argued.

"Hey, I'm doing this for Molly," Kathy said, rubbing the spot Candace had gotten her through her jacket. "It's all she ever talks about these days… it's good for her. I'm not about to tear her off cloud nine because I'm bored without ambitions."

Luna grunted the affirmative, but the worried look didn't leave Candace's face. She tugged at her sister's sleeve. "I'm sure it'll get better… We'll find a way to… to make it useful."

"Fat chance," her sister scoffed.

Just at that moment, a figure called out to them. The girls didn't hear over the commotion of the giraffe being brought forward to catch hula hoops around her neck in her usual routine, so he pushed through the masses and fell into Luna. "I've been all over this stupid place looking for you!"

"Chase?" Kathy's eyes widened. She instinctively scanned the immediate area for her friend, but Molly wasn't in sight. She grinned. "What's up?"

Chase shrugged the scarf over his shoulder and rolled his eyes as Luna brushed at her sleeve where he had touched her. "The least you could do is wear matching colors or something. You guys look like everyone else."

"Well, I don't see you wearing any statement pieces!" Luna snapped. She roughly adjusted the headband on her head and pointedly glared at him. "Talk."

"You really ought to be nicer to me," Chase crossed his arms, sending his own impressive glower her way. "I don't see you running around helping people out of the goodness of your heart."

"Goodness of _your_ heart?" Candace giggled, surprising them all. Luna and Kathy burst into laughter, making Chase's face darken.

"H-hey! Will you just listen?!" He shouted above them. "Where's Molly?"

Kathy took a deep breath and shrugged as casually as she possibly could. "Eh, I don't know. She was around with Tucker not too long ago."

"She really should be around to hear this, but…" Chase rubbed the back of his head, checking the vicinity anyways for a brown bob. "I think I got you guys a gig."

"A what?" Candace gasped.

"No way!" Kathy squealed.

"You _think?_" Luna challenged.

Chase slouched, but he couldn't hide the proud smile. "Yeah, I called in a favor with Gill… He talked to his dad, and he said you guys could play at the Harvest Festival."

Kathy squished him into a headlock and furiously ruffled his hair with her fist. "You little go-getter! I could squeeze you to death!"

"Th-there's a condition!" Chase quickly choked out, desperate to free himself. "It's unpaid!"

"Oh, well… that's a deal breaker," Luna stuck out her tongue.

Chase managed to escape Kathy and moodily started fixing his hair he had styled to look un-styled. He huffed and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "But, hey, at least it's a gig, right? You guys could use a little attention. I heard you practice at the bar, and you're not half bad."

"Gee, thanks," Luna sniffed, primping one of her pigtails. "We were looking for your approval – ow!"

Having smacked Luna upside the head, Kathy smiled sweetly at Chase. "We'll take it. Seriously, it's awesome. Thank you."

"Right," he nodded. He gave a suspicious glance to Candace, wondering if she'd pop up with any more surprises. She just cowered closer to her sister. Chase sighed. "Okay, great. I'll let him know you're in."

"Thanks again, Chase!" Kathy waved him off as he turned his back on them.

"Th-thank you!" Candace piped up with a friendly wave.

Chase suddenly whirled around, pointing threateningly at Kathy. "And I didn't do this for Molly. You tell her that. Okay?"

"Sure, sure…" Kathy smirked and shifted her weight into her hip.

"Seriously," he repeated, his face becoming more downcast. "Tell her…"

After he disappeared, Luna gave Kathy a wry look. "Everyone's so hush-hush about it, but good gracious, she must've really torn his little heart to pieces!"

"Hey, he's just being a good guy," Kathy defended him as she made for the exit. She shrugged with her hands in her pockets, her jacket opening as she did so. "And it's not like you can force anyone together!"

"Maybe _you_ can't…" Luna bragged under her breath.

"Luna, you really shouldn't interfere…" Candace said all too knowingly. When her sister had gotten it in her head a couple of years ago that she should date one of their friends, Julius, it was one rocky roller coaster of humiliation for everyone involved. No one left unscathed from that affair, and Candace couldn't let Luna loose to repeat those same matchmaking shenanigans with Molly.

"Fine, fine!" Luna grumbled, skipping up to trail after Kathy. Candace hurried to follow them. "So when's our next practice? We're going to need to do something big for the Harvest Festival."

"We'll figure something out," Kathy shrugged.

"Will we have to write another song before then?" Candace asked, looking worried. "I d-don't know if we could perfect it in time…"

Kathy suddenly stopped and turned to her friends. They were a group, so why were they hanging on her for a decision? Without Molly around, she was the appointed leader by the default. Kathy wasn't sure how she felt about that, and she bit her lip. Her eyes caught her target, making her smile with excitement. "We can go over it later when it's all four of us, okay? I don't see the harm in singin' 'Just You' at the festival anyways, since the only people who are sick of it are a bunch of grumpy old men at the bar. No one else has heard it, so we'll be just fine. Now… if you'll excuse me, gals…"

Luna huffed in annoyance as she watched Kathy jog over to meet Owen. He properly picked her up and spun her around as she laughed and scolded him, and the two giggled disgustingly with each other. Luna shook her head, her arms crossed so high that they were almost under her chin. "How rude! She just totally ditched us! And they're so gross and mushy; I'm gonna throw up."

"Luna…" Candace reprimanded with a sweet smile. "You should leave her be… It's her first boyfriend and all…"

"It doesn't make it any less rude," she insisted. "We've got to plan for our first and only gig!"

"Heeeeeeey! Lunaaaaaaaa!"

"Oh, God…" Luna held a hand over her eyes as Candace giggled.

Luke was smiling broadly as he ran to the pair and stopped. His eyes were sparkling from the excitement of the circus and seeing his favorite girl. He held up a hand like he was expecting a high-five. "Luna, Candace – how's it going?"

"We're quite fine, thank you," Luna replied testily. Ever since the Moon Festival, she hadn't been able to get Luke to leave her alone. She couldn't decide if the attention was good or not as of yet, but currently, she was feeling annoyed and smothered. She took Candace's hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Actually, we were just leaving."

"Aw, but the hippo hasn't done a barrel roll yet!" Luke whined. He trailed merrily after them. "Couldn't you stay for the barrel roll?"

"No," she said shortly.

Luke hopped down the stairs and cut them off. Candace gave a wary glance to her sister, monitoring her temper. Luna steadily glared ahead, but she was keeping her cool. The carpenter stood on his tip toes and studied her face. "Hey, are you cold? Your face is all flushed up."

"Ugh! _Lies!_" Luna's voice rose to the challenge, kicking on the rant mode as she held her offending blush. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing? How ungentlemanly! Candace – we're leaving!"

Luna rudely shoved past him, and poor Candace gave him the best sympathetic look she could muster as they quickly left the church grounds. Luke stared after them, confused as to what set her off. He smiled anyways. "Hey, call me!"

"When you learn how to treat a lady, I might, but since that'll never happen – don't wait up for it!" Luna shouted over her shoulder and stomped down the last of the steps.

* * *

><p>"Phew, I think we've lost him, buddy," Molly let out a relieved sigh.<p>

Tucker sat happily with his tongue hanging out next to the girl hiding behind the trash can. They were behind a storage cart near the giraffe exhibit, and Eunice was doing a good job of pretending they weren't there.

Molly peeked over the trash can to look over the crowds, and Gill was nowhere in sight. She settled back down and leaned against it, stroking Tucker's thick white fur. "We better stick around a little longer… just to be safe."

The fluffy dog settled down with a light whine, upset he was missing the action but unable to do much about it. Molly absent-mindedly scratched the tuffs around his neck and collar and frowned. The trees above her had no more green in their leaves, and the chill in the air was threatening winter. _Winter already!_ She needed to collect more firewood, get her stagnant winter crops going, stock up on fodder for Lil, fix up Tucker's dog house, and somehow keep up with the band.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Molly ruefully smiled. She desperately tried to find a melody, a new one, so she wouldn't disappoint her friends. All she could hum were popular songs and old tunes everyone and their mother would know she plagiarized. She huffed at her bangs.

Tucker unexpectedly leapt up and yanked Molly forward. With a yelp, Molly was forced forward and landed on her stomach. She pulled at Tucker's leash to bring him back, but when she looked up, she saw his tail furiously wagging as he repeatedly jumped to greet someone.

"Oh…" Molly mumbled, trying to fix herself. She scrambled to her feet and awkwardly stood very straight. She allowed Tucker to say his hellos before gently pulling him back so he wouldn't stifle him. "Hi."

"What are you doing back here?" Chase asked, wrinkling his nose slightly in annoyed perplexity.

Molly looked around dumbly. "Uh. We were hiding. From Gill."

Chase followed the hand she pointed with and nodded. He clicked his tongue. "Right."

She couldn't stop dreaming about it. The dream that wasn't a dream but a memory. It was never very monumental to her at any other point in her life, but all of the sudden, it seemed her emotional existence revolved around this one moment. When Molly was a crying girl on some cold steps, and then someone had appeared. Someone she didn't necessarily expect. But she was sure now that if Chase hadn't shown up at that moment, Molly wouldn't be the same person standing there in front of him today. If he hadn't immediately started picking up the pieces…

Molly visibly gulped and avoided his eyes. She pulled at the back of her hair. "Well, uh, it looks like he's gone and… so… I'll just be going, too."

"Have you talked to Kathy?" Chase asked, keeping his cool much better than she was.

Molly wondered how he wasn't feeling so awkward. Then again, maybe he had tact enough to hide it. She scrunched her brow at his question, catching it late. "Huh? Kathy?"

"Yeah, we've been looking all over for you," he shrugged, lying only a little to save himself. Now that Molly had met his gaze, he was the one looking away. _She was just… staring…! What was she looking at?!_ "Maybe she should just tell you. Talk to her, okay?"

Molly noticed the first place he started to blush was the tip of his nose. It seemed to spread like a contagion the worse it got to his cheeks all the way up his ears. Now that she was trying her best to _really_ see, Chase had a pretty flawless face. There weren't any freckles or beauty marks or any of the things that usually clutter up faces. It really made his eyes seem all the larger. And it was a bit strange, but he had a nice chin. A really nice chin.

"Okay?!" Chase grumbled, waiting for an answer after what felt like forever under her off putting scrutiny.

"Okay…" she answered rather dreamily with a slow nod of her head. When Molly realized she was making him uncomfortable, she too was put on edge again, and she flushed. "Er – right! Okay, see you around… I guess…"

Molly left in a rush, tugging Tucker along who still wanted to play with their old friend. She was a little embarrassed she was acting like such an idiot, but she couldn't deny the lyrics suddenly floating through her head. Only from a few short seconds with him, and she was already singing a song…

_His eyes on me… I'm going crazy!_


	11. Chapter Eleven

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your reviews CAPJHMPAgirl, Swag Giraffe, MikariStar, and stormy003! You guys are all super sweet, and I'm glad you like the story so far! Hopefully, this chapter elicits some much needed excitement. Kind of the place where we get some real story going rather than a bunch of prep and fluff. Again, thanks so much!

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

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><p>"God dammit, Molly!"<p>

"Ah! Sorry! I'm sorry!"

Luna blew excessively on her bangs, forcing them to hang in midair for a few seconds. When her huff was over, they didn't fall back into place and stuck out at odd angles, but the girl didn't care for once. She positioned her feet at the kickstand and poised her drumsticks over the cymbal and snare. "Okay… we start again. And remember the lyrics this time!"

"I will! I'm sorry! I promise!" Molly gasped out in one breath, flustered at her friend's growing impatience, but she really didn't have any reason to blame her. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Kathy took a deep breath, for once not scolding Luna for reprimanding Molly so roughly. She was on her last straw as well. If they had to play this song _one more time_, Kathy was sure her fingers would bleed from boredom. Molly needed to get it right just _once_, and they could quit practice for the night.

The Harvest Festival was tomorrow, and the girls were prepared. They practiced a few covers of songs they thought most of the villagers would know to spice things up, and they planned on playing their original 'Just You' at the end as a surprise. See if it went over well. The notes were memorized, the chords were clear, and the beat was mastered. The only problem was Molly.

The words never came out right. Sometimes, they wouldn't come out at all. Molly's range was all over the place, exceedingly lackluster, and she was downright forgetful. Though Kathy and Luna were starting to feel she was careless, Candace could see that Molly was obviously distracted. She was the only girl in the band to note how her eyes flickered towards the kitchen every few minutes. Whenever Chase appeared, Molly would clam up entirely like a statue or stutter out lyrics like she was under interrogation. Candace was put out like the others, but she was more concerned for her friend's wellbeing at that point.

Molly ran a hand through her hair and glared. _Come on! You've got this. They're your own stinking lyrics, you ninny! Focus!_

Kathy counted them in, and the music began. They had upped the tempo due to frustration to finish faster, and the girls found it suited the song well. Instead of a folksy bore, the song took on a pop vibe. The sound was exciting compared to the humdrum they were used to hearing from the same old track.

They cleared the first verse, and everyone was breathing a sigh of relief. Molly wasn't totally horrible. Yet. Now it became a waiting game for when she would no doubt lose it.

Molly's confidence rose as the chorus neared. Suddenly, new lyrics were filling her brain, and she shook her head to free herself from them. _Focus. Focus! _

"_It's just you and me  
>Hitting the big leagues,"<em>

"Here ya go, Ramsey," Chase handed an appetizer to the old man chatting with Hayden at the bar.

"_You and me!  
>Grabbing the Gram<em>-shit. Shit! Oh, hell…"

The music instantly died. As the only patron in the bar was Ramsey who took out his hearing aid, the screw ups weren't assaulting _too_ many innocent ears. Molly still couldn't help but feel ashamed, shielding her face in her hands.

"Let's be done for the night," Kathy said, pulling the guitar strap over her head.

"Praises!" Luna breathed, roughly tossing her drumsticks into her bag.

"A-are you okay, Molly?" Candace asked, hesitantly switching off the keyboard.

Molly surfaced, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a deep sigh. She didn't look her friends in the eyes when she turned to face them. "Sorry…"

"Do you…" Kathy awkwardly pulled at the curl in her ponytail, staring around at their shoes before looking Molly in the eye. "Do you even wanna do this anymore?"

"Yes! I'm positive! I love singing with you guys," Molly insisted, quickly on the defense.

"Then act like it," Luna said through clenched teeth.

"M-maybe it's just cold feet?" Candace suggested, knowing all too well how that felt. She wrung the cuffs of her sleeves. "It's our first gig tomorrow after all…"

As Molly didn't affirm nor argue this theory, Kathy sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "Okay. Let's just get this over with. I… I'm sure it'll be fun!"

"A blast…" Luna mumbled, being ushered away by her sister. She swatted at her but missed, stumbling off the stage for the door.

Kathy watched them go and found Molly still hadn't bothered to put the mic back on its stand. She went and set her bass guitar on its holder and turned off the various amps, idly looking over the settings. "Don't listen to her… You know Luna. She's just grouchy since she skipped supper."

When Molly didn't react, Kathy frowned. She approached her friend who still didn't seem to see her. She wrenched the microphone from her hand. "Hey! Earth to Molly! You alright in there, doll?"

Molly shook her head, watching as Kathy anchored the mic and switched that off as well. "I'm so sorry… I feel so bad for disappointing you guys like this."

Kathy's hand slowly traced the cord. "So… you quittin' this?"

Again, Molly shook her head in the negative. "No, I… I just feel like…"

"Chase! Grab the broom will ya? Broke another shot glass down here," Hayden's booming voice called.

"I've gotta go," Molly quickly stepped past her friend without another word.

Kathy made the obvious connection, reached out to stop her, but her hand hesitated long enough to allow Molly to escape the bar in a rush. The blonde sighed and leaned into the mic stand, forcing it to totter dangerously to the side. "Aw, honey… I hope ya figure this out soon. For all our sakes,' too. Gonna be a laughing stock tomorrow…"

"You talking to yourself again, darling?" Hayden shouted across the room, a teasing smile on his face.

"I am not!" Kathy childishly hollered back.

"Then why don't you make yourself useful and find the dust pan, eh?" He suggested as Chase silently swept up the shards on the floor beside him.

Kathy pursed her lips, hopping off the stage. "Yeah, yeah, coming right up…"

* * *

><p>Molly felt guilty. Sure, for angering her friends, not being able to sing for anything, and making them stay up past midnight trying anyways. All of that was a heavy load, but there was something much worse on her mind.<p>

She had strung him along. All this time.

"All of this time…" she whispered, staring up at her ceiling from her bed. She was sprawled out, ready for sleep but unable to harness it. Sort of like her whacky vocals. Everything was so out of reach and so insignificant at the same time.

She was so selfish. When she was all alone and crumbling like old cookies, all she could think was how grateful she was that it didn't have to be her anymore once he came along. That it could all be in the past if she kept following his footsteps. She praised him, idolized him even. She cared about him like crazy. The only thing left to do was to post his picture up on the wall beside her Mikhail poster, and everything in her little world would be complete.

Never in all her life did she ever think _he_ could possibly be interested in her. _Her._ She was the mental case he had picked up like a house in need of renovation, an old heirloom at a garage sale. She needed dusting and clearing out and all sorts of costly repairs. _Why would he care? Care so much?_

Molly groaned and folded her arms over her face. She wanted to talk to Chase so badly about all of this. He was the go-to person in her life. He wasn't just a back-up if Kathy was working or busy crushing on the miner up the hill. Molly trusted Chase with everything. He was always just as close as her best friends. _He was one! But how could she go to him when he was the problem?!_

"Don't say that – I'm the problem," she chided herself. "I'm the one who ignored him all these years… Didn't open my eyes. Was I scared? Repulsed? I don't know! I don't know what I want! Aahhh!"

She tugged her pillow over and smushed it against her face. Molly hollered into it and whined and kicked her feet and then stopped in a huff. She sat up and tossed her pillow aside. With all of the pictures of Mikhail smiling down at her, she looked back up at them and nodded.

"I've gotta talk to him…" she muttered, tugging on her boots. She noted the time on her clock and winced. It was just after two. He would be home from the bar, but it was unlikely if he was still awake. It used to be one of her favorite times of day to see him. He'd be happy to be off his shift, so she'd bring over ice cream or a game and just hang out with him until she had to wake up for her own farm chores. Of course, she hadn't been over to his house at all since she started avoiding him. It made her miss all of that. Miss her friend.

Molly shut the door behind her and shivered at the cool air. Her feet clunked on ahead of her, the shoelaces flying all over as she neglected to tie them, and her hands were stuffed in her jacket pockets. "I've just gotta see him. No more running and hiding like a little weakling! He'll be able to tell you how much of an idiot you are… and… and it was all just a joke. Yeah! A joke! And everything can go back to the way it was before, only he'll have those sad eyes, and your gut will be wrenching with tortuous guilt."

She looked up, watching as the path brought her quick feet closer and closer to Flute Fields. She stomped across the bridge and stopped. The water wheel consistently splashed the river's water; the great wooden structure was the only sound in the dead of night. Leaves carried over from Fugue danced around her feet and twirled in the air.

"Yeah…" Molly took a deep breath, already losing her legs. "Sounds about right…"

Before she could completely lose her nerve, she ran the rest of the way to his door. Panting for a few seconds and feeling creepy about it, Molly controlled her breathing well enough to knock. The second her fist made contact, she felt like it was the worst idea in the world. _She wanted to see him, but what made her think he wanted to see her?! She was being selfish again!_ _Leave! Leave while you still can!_

Molly turned on her heel just as the door swung open. She forced herself to turn back around again. _Too late._ "Uh… um… hello?"

To put it mildly, Chase was exhausted. It had felt like one of the longest shifts of his life, and he had only just kicked his shoes off. All he wanted to do was collapse on the nearest fluffy surface and go comatose for a good twelve hours or so. But then someone decided to knock on his door. And no one knocked on his door at this time of night.

Molly was staring at the bags under his eyes in apprehension, and his glare only deepened. He rubbed his face with one hand, putting all of his weight on the door frame with the other. "What do ya want?"

Molly collected her words as Chase yawned. "I – uh – was just in the neighborhood, I guess…"

"Molly, it's two in the morning. Yeah?" Chase went to look at his watch, but he wasn't wearing one. He shrugged, and his arm flopped. "What is it?"

Now she was getting irritated. _How come he wasn't so flustered? So nervous? How dare he be so strong about all of this while she suffered! This was all his fault in the first place!_ She jabbed her finger at his chest, suddenly lashing at him out of nowhere. "Hey, buster, I walked all this way, and I didn't do it to get grouched at! I just wanted to talk to you, and you're all high and mighty and get down off of your pedestal and sheesh!"

Chase backed into his house away from her, straightening his posture and staring her down. "Okay, you're not making any sense! Why are you here?!"

Molly stopped. She couldn't deny his tone hurt despite her own she was using. It made it sound like… like she was unwelcome in his house. This home away from home. It was odd and heart-wrenching. _How much of her life had she so carelessly destroyed?_ Molly held a hand to her head as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I-I don't know…! I just really wanted to talk, and my feet kind of took me here, and… and I really miss you. I'm sorry for whatever I did – I really am, okay? Can we be friends again? Please?"

"If that'll make your life easier," Chase rolled his eyes as she sniffled. He couldn't believe she was still denying the problem. Why didn't she just say it outright? He could handle a rejection _if only he got one_. All of this run around was driving him crazy. Apparently, it wasn't doing Molly any favors either. But he gave up. He waved his hand, as if he could push away these thoughts for a better, day lit hour. "Fine! Fine… What do you wanna talk about?"

Her heart broke, seeing the change come over him so quickly. How fast he bottled everything up and put on a brave face for her. She didn't want to be the reason he had to do that. She never wanted that. She owed him so much, and yet she gave so little. All he _ever_ did was give. And put up with her. _Was that what she became? Tolerable?_

Molly leaned against the door until it closed, clicking into place. She sighed, unsure of how to go about this now. So she had won. He was willing to talk. But what was there to say? "I… I can't sing."

Chase's eyes were closed as he sat on the arm of his sofa, crossing his arms and trying to stay awake despite obviously nodding off. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm serious!" She argued.

More gruff than usual, he just grumbled at her again. "Right, whatever. You can't sing. Why's that?"

_I don't know, maybe it's because I've suddenly been bombarded with all of the same feelings you've had for me over the years in the span of a couple of weeks. Maybe that's why I look so crazy!_

Molly bit her lip, realizing what she was thinking too late to try to subdue her rapidly flushing face. "I d-don't know! That's why I came to you!"

"Molly, I know nothing about music," Chase roughly rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"But that's not true!" Molly said. "I mean, you're pretty handy with the flute, and your guitar picking skills aren't half bad…"

"Half bad?" He suddenly looked up at her with an annoyed expression.

"Better than I could do!" She shrugged with a light laugh.

Chase just shook his head.

Molly frowned. She twisted her fingers together in knots. "So… I don't know… You've… You've always been able to help me before."

He looked at her suspiciously, more awake this time. It didn't take him more than a second to understand what she was alluding to, and his face softened. "That was years ago…"

"But I would've never gotten over it if—"

To her surprise, Chase interrupted her. Now he was the one raising his voice. "Get over it? Don't you remember anything?! I told you that you wouldn't get over it. You'd _never_ get over it. You'd just… forget to think about it all of the time…"

Molly knew that was true. She shuffled her feet. "I mean… I… I couldn't. I _can't_ move on. Not without you around. That's… that's what I wanted to say. Thank you. For everything."

There was a thick quiet between them. Any other person might have thought her gratitude bizarre if they hadn't known of the strange connection Chase shared with her. A similar history. Even so, he felt disappointed that was it. That was her big reveal.

"Well, I'm going to get out of your hair now. You know better than anybody I do more harm than good!" She chuckled to attempt to bring light to the dark confession but failed miserably as her face fell. She reached for the knob behind her, but her hand missed as she watched Chase stand.

"Still doesn't answer why you can't sing," he said. Chase knew from the start that Molly wasn't any kind of master of subtlety. Still, that was within his comfort zone, so he blamed his excessive failures to garner any kind of reaction or realization out of her due to the fact that she was simply not interested. For a while, he had been content to live that way. Never really trying. Never pushing the buttons Molly couldn't ignore. But maybe he was just tired enough.

Molly took in a sharp intake of breath as Chase got closer and closer and closer until he could comfortably lean his hand on the door above her. She swallowed a nervous 'eep!' rising in her vocal chords as his gaze levelled with hers.

"It's not rocket science," he was saying, but Molly was staring down at the fresh stains on his apron after his long night. Annoyed she wasn't paying attention, he forced her to make eye contact by bringing up her chin. "Just do it. Sing."

It wasn't _quite_ the reaction he was expecting.

Then again, that was never the case with Molly, so he shouldn't have been so surprised. A small yell of astonishment escaped his lips as she grabbed his collar with both hands like she would lift him, but she kissed him instead. He was so paralyzed, it was over as fast as it began, and Molly was staring at his face in comical horror.

As he was still focusing on his bearings, Molly finally found the door knob and gave it a hard twist. She catapulted herself outside without a farewell, escaping the scene like a shoplifter.

"_Hell!"_ Chase was still leaning on the door when she opened it, pitching him forward face first. He caught himself on the door frame, but it was enough of a stumble to give Molly ample time to disappear. He stared down the dark path at the shadows, hearing her boots thumping away into the distance.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Holy Great Aunt Bessy, you reviewers are so… review. It's like there's not even a word for your dedication. To XxBlue and CrimsonxX, MikariStar, CAPJHMPAgirl, and Catch-Up-Queen Cotton Candy Mareep, you have my sincerest gratitude!

My biggest problem right now is just having too much on my plate. It's like Thanksgiving every day in my brain. xD If you're following _Open for Business_ (wow, arrogant), that's the story I've given priority, so things with this story and any others that you might know of (such arrogance!) are going to be rocky until Christmas/New Years. After the holidays, I'll be able to updates _loads_ more.

Okay, before I can shove my foot any further in my mouth, I'm going to give you another chapter. xD

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

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><p>Molly rolled the enormous, bass drum across the stage and struggled to stop it. She leaned on the pink rim flat on her belly and nervously bit her lip as she watched the girl in front of her on the stool. "Do you think we'll suck?"<p>

Luna fiddled with the nut on the cymbal's stand, tightening it and lightly testing the sound every now and again. She shrugged without looking at her. "That all depends. Can you sing today?"

Candace warily watched the exchange from her keyboard. She was idly dusting between the keys with her sweater cuff since she couldn't think of any use for herself without getting in someone's way. Her eyes skipped cautiously between her temperamental sister and goofy friend.

"I…" she was going to instantly reassure Luna's rightful doubts, but now Molly wasn't so sure. Chase had completely taken over her brain, and after last night when she _attacked_ him like she did, nothing had really been cured. She was still the same old screw up fumbling over a potential love interest that had previously been invisible in her life. _But could she sing?_

"All hooked up, ladies!" Kathy announced, dragging the excess extension cords and looping them up around her arm. She hopped across the lawn from Marimba Farm's store and met the girls at their setup by the fence. She put her hands on her hips confidently. "I'm feeling great today! This should be loads of fun!"

"As fun as anything can be at nine in the morning," Luna yawned, but a smile crept onto her face.

Molly tugged at Luna's skirt until she looked at her, the signature pigtails bobbing as she turned her head. She made up her mind. "I can do it."

Luna was skeptical, but she gave her friend a smirk. "You better. Or God dammit, I'm going to do some very unladylike things when people start laughing at us."

Molly giggled as she slid from the drum and pulled herself to her feet. She was feeling better. She could do this. With growing gusto, Molly stepped across the four wooden crate tops on barrels they meshed together to call a stage and held the mic stand.

Looking out over the field, only a few people were around since the festival was only just beginning. Most people who attended the Harvest Festival only cared for the contests and the auction at the end for the winning crops. Ruth, Craig, and Taylor had their booths set up and ready to sell all sorts of yummy smelling goods, and Anissa was tying balloons to a gatepost at the entrance. Cain and Hanna brought their farmyard cut out for pictures that was usually used at the Animal Festival, but they must have been trying to draw in more people with all of the decorations they could. Hamilton was directing his son on how to properly hang the banner for his contest stand.

Molly felt a little guilty that she only had a measly eggplant that was worth entering in the vegetable contest, but she barely had time to think about losing with all of the work this morning. The girls all had to get up at the crack of dawn to haul their instruments from the Brass Bar down to Marimba Farm, but Molly had an old wagon and her cow Lil to help with most of the heavy work. Still, Luna and Kathy were both extremely irritable for the entire charade, so it was nice to see them lively at long last.

Anticipation was bubbling up inside of her. The sky was clear with only a small spread of clouds so the sun could poke through. Like it was opening up just for this special day.

And then she fell flat, just like the balloon that zipped out of Anissa's hand at that very moment.

"What, are you serving out of your house now for tips?" Gill sneered sarcastically.

Hamilton happily accepted the Styrofoam cup of coffee from Chase and sipped it with a satisfied sigh. Chase glared at the blond, retracting his offering. "You know, I'd be happy to drink this in front of you."

Gill muttered his thanks and more graciously took the coffee. It was a particularly chilly day with the sky opened up and winter just around the corner, so he clung to it for warmth in his palms. Molly's eyes followed Chase as he went back to the coffee machine plugged in on Ruth's stand and spoke with her a minute. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw him balance five cups at once and make his way over to their stage.

"Hide me!" Molly hoarsely whispered, making a dive for Candace's keyboard. Candace squeaked as the brunette upset the stand as she scrambled underneath, got tangled in the cords, and nearly brought the whole thing crashing forward.

"Molly - the hell?!" Luna scolded, jumping to her feet. She helped her sister catch the keyboard just in time. She glared underneath it. "What's the matter with you?!"

"I can't explain!" Molly quickly said, waving her off. _How could she tell her friends she had totally raped Chase's face?! _She was creepy, and it was stupid, and Chase would be totally grossed out by her. Drive by kisses weren't taken well – that was for sappy movies. The real world just didn't work that way. Or at least not in Molly's book.

"Coffee?" Chase held up the cups between his hands.

Kathy came to his aide, taking three from him. "Yeah, thanks! What are you doing up so early, grumpy?"

"With all the banging around? I wake up early for this festival every year," he said, taking a gulp and shaking his head.

"And I thought you were coming to support us," Kathy pouted.

"Yeah, you're, like, our only groupie," Luna added, handing a cup to her sister as she carefully tasted her own.

"I am not a groupie!" Chase defended himself. He snorted. "Fine, find your own gigs. Don't thank me for… Molly, why are you under the piano?"

Molly bumped her head as she tried to escape as casually as possible. She rubbed the sore spot and awkwardly looked at the splintering fence posts instead of any of the people around her. "I-I was just plugging in the last… amps… to the… and it's actually a keyboard, and… I don't know."

Chase appeared to be completely composed about the whole thing, like the kiss never happened. In fact, he was so calm that Molly thought he could have been asleep for the whole thing. She just might get away with it. Which somehow made the entire scenario even creepier. "You want some coffee?"

"Huh?" Molly tilted her head, having missed all of the stares she was getting during her pause. She dodged a cord that was a potential tripper and leaned down to take the cup from him. Their stage was on old wine casks Marimba Farm had in their cellar, so they were a good deal up; right at level with Chase's shoulder. "Thanks…"

"No problem," he nodded. Now that his hand was free he took her forearm, making her pale in fear. His expression was casual as a guise, but with the way his eyes were staring straight into hers, Molly fidgeted. Chase smiled softly. "Good luck."

Now that she was finally noticing his cues, her face lit up. Molly managed a nod, but she couldn't give him a smile in return with the way her stomach was reeling. Chase seemed to enjoy her obvious flush and went on his merry way.

"The heck was that about?" Luna asked, the first person to realize how weird the two were acting.

Unfortunately, the matter couldn't be pursued as Hamilton quickly took Chase's place before them, clapping with glee. "Look at you girls! So grown up with your techy gizmos and flashy guitars. I remember when you three were thiiiis high, and you'd be running around flipping your cartwheels and tagging all the little boys! Especially you, Kathy! Always running circles around Owen."

"Y-yeah…" Luna actually stuttered, fluffing out her skirt awkwardly.

"You have a good memory, sir!" Kathy laughed half-heartedly. Candace looked at the floor, twisting her sleeves.

"Which reminds me!" Hamilton snapped his fingers, pointing at Luna. He was so short, he had to stand back from the stage to even be able to see them. "Luna, when you were just a few inches shorter than you are now, precious – and you wrote that adorable love note for my little Gill~! But poor Luke thought it was for him since you accidentally put it in the wrong desk, and he brought it in for show and tell, and read it aloud for the class to—"

"Yeah, well, we're going to need to get started soon, so," Luna was unable to hide her mortified expression, nor her rising anger at being subjected to such a memory. Candace was biting her lip, hoping she wouldn't have to intervene if she rose her voice against the mayor.

"Right! High-fives, everyone! Big smiles!" The little man reached and got one from each girl. He looked them all over one last time, a hand to his heart. "So proud! _So_ proud. Can't wait to hear you girls today! You're on in ten minutes!"

Molly was giggling as the other girls got their fair taste of embarrassment as Hamilton skipped back to his booth. Sometimes, it was nice not having half of her childhood here on Castanet.

Luna whirled around and marched straight up to Molly, poking her square in the sternum. "You had better sing like your God damn life depends on it! I _refuse_ to give that man another reason to laugh at me!"

Though she took her seriously, Molly couldn't help but keep chuckling, getting her a few swift punches to the arm. "Okay! Okay! We'll be great! I promise!"

"You sure?" Kathy asked, appearing nervous for the first time.

Molly looked at her bandmates, who were gauging her reaction. She turned and immediately spotted Chase at his front door, who curiously enough, caught her gaze with his own. She smiled back at her friends. "We'll back each other up. We can do this!"

* * *

><p>"Ahem… ah… hello!"<p>

The turnout was way too many. They wanted to wring whosevers' neck was responsible for advertising their appearance. The girls were expecting to be background music to an otherwise dead event. But there they were, standing above a crowd of thirty of their fellow friends and family members. Now when they inevitably crashed and burned, they would be doing it in front of every last person they knew.

Simon coughed, and Paolo and Chloe were giggling about something. Molly cleared her throat again. "Thanks for coming out today!"

Her voice sounded way too loud, echoing through the microphone and out the stereos. Way too loud with this big empty field behind and in front and all around them. Molly was the only thing Molly could hear, and it was severely making her twitch.

"Well, we're just a casual group, so I'll cut the introductions. We're here to play a few songs and have a good time. Enjoy the Harvest Festival!" Molly waved with a winning smile she didn't feel. With her last ditch effort at having the crowd mosey on along and just _let them play_ having failed, she took a deep breath. She looked back at her closest friends and nodded, lifting her hand to count them in. "Well… here goes nothing, right?"

Candace had her eyes glued to the keyboard, staring straight at her fingers where it was safe. Luna was stuck in her arrogant face in her attempt at appearing flippant yet she was obviously scared out of her control. Kathy had the most natural smile out of them all, pleasantly holding up her bass and focusing on her boyfriend supporting her front row center to calm her nerves. Since their stage was small, she was close enough and gave Molly a light nudge. Molly nodded again and counted 1, 2, 3—

Instantly, Molly paled. They had planned on performing a few covers first to get warmed up and loosen the people with something they'd recognize, but in their anxiousness, they had started to play the first song they knew. The one that had been drilled into their heads. 'Just You.'

She wanted to whirl around and ask them WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS GUYS, but Molly couldn't bring herself to embarrass everyone further. Besides, they hadn't messed up the intro, and it was coming up on Molly's part. She spotted Chase amongst the villagers gawking at her. He recognized the song and knew she was seconds from missing her part since she was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. He mouthed: _'sing!'_

When Molly opened her mouth, she was sure she'd croak. But the words were there. Out in the open. Coming out clean, just as planned. Though the girls had realized their mistake and had accidentally put themselves on the spot, their confidence grew as Molly indeed sang like her life depended on it. They relaxed as the faces in the crowd smiled, and they clapped along with the beat. Maybe they thought the girls were just cute. Maybe it was out of pity. Whatever the case, the girls rode on that single thought wave to get through the song.

Molly was smiling and clapping, riling up whoever was willing in their audience to clap along with her. She came to a finish after having gotten lost somewhere along the way, finding she was the only sound since she had repeated the ending twice. Though it was a blunder, it was saved as Kathy, Luna, and Candace picked up the clapping and Kathy backed up her vocals with her steady hum. "Just you… Do-do-do…!"

As it came to a final end, the crowd cheered for the girls. Their clapping had enthusiasm. Luke whistled through his fingers, and Chase was all but jumping up and down, clapping over his head with the happiest expression any of them had ever seen full of pride.

Kathy wriggled out of her guitar strap and made a rush dive off of the stage. Though a few gasped, she hit her target, and Owen flawlessly caught her in a hug and spun her around in the tight space. They garnered some 'aw's and the little kids stuck out their tongues. The people started to part and check out the festival at long last.

First thing Molly did was sit down. She found her legs couldn't force her to brave standing anymore, so she plopped rather painfully to her knees.

"Did we… did we just actually…?!" Luna had her hands over her mouth to trap the rising squeal.

Molly fell back and looked at her upside down. She could see her behind the kickstand. "I think we actually _did!"_

Candace ran around the keyboard to meet them as Luna did the same around her drum set. The sisters collapsed next to Molly, hugging and laughing to the point of tears they were so relieved.

"We didn't suck! We didn't suck!" Luna repeated again and again, shaking Molly's shoulders.

"I _told_ you!" Molly lied, laughing despite being rattled.

"That was fun! Really _fun!"_ Candace gushed, covering her mouth in fear she was shouting. She pulled at Luna's arm, pointing down at the grass. "C'mon, Luna – I see Gramma's waiting!"

"Gramma! Gramma!" Luna jumped up at the mention. She leapt from the stage, catching herself with her hands on the ground and sprinting for her grandmother Shelly. Candace crawled down after a moment of deliberation and followed after her sister who was jumping like a little girl. "Did you see us?! Did you see how they clapped for us?!"

Molly watched them go with a disbelieving smile, still whirling from the high. She caught sight of Kathy bouncing in front of Owen as she regaled what it was like to be up there in front of everyone, and how they screwed up half a dozen times, but no one seemed to notice. Molly supposed there was a beauty to singing their original song right off the bat. No one could tell what went wrong with it.

Chase approached the stage where they were the only ones left hanging around. He lingered like he didn't know what to say, but the happiness hadn't totally left his face yet.

"I'd say 'catch me' but…" Molly grinned in a teasing voice as she sat on the edge and carefully lowered herself to the ground.

"Shut up…" Chase grouched, folding his arms across his torso. He wasn't exactly an 'Owen.'

"Hold on," Molly held up her hands before he could say anything, if he would. She beckoned for him to follow her. "I've got something for you."

Chase suspiciously followed her around a barrel, nearly whacking himself in the head with their stage floor as he turned back to see if anyone was spying. He quickly followed her, feeling more awkward as he shoved his hands deep in his coat pockets. It was a different story being alone together.

Molly sat down with her back to a barrel and a Tupperware in her hands. She looked up at him and patted the ground next to her. Chase sat a fair distance away, which only caused Molly to scoot closer to him.

"Here," she handed him the box with pride.

Chase cocked an eyebrow. It was cold and rather heavy. He gave it a skeptical once over before lifting the lid. "…Rice?"

"Shoot!" Molly's nerves returned as she snatched it back from him. Without hesitation, she stuck her fingers into the food and prodded the vegetables around on top as Chase looked on horrified with the contamination. "I had it all ready this morning! It got all messed up… I knew I should have checked it before I…"

He watched as she frowned and became downcast. Molly shoved it back into his hands and looked away, propping her chin up in her hand. "Well, it was supposed to spell out 'sorry.' You know, for being such an asshole. I didn't mean to lead you on, especially not for as long as I did—"

"Rice?" Chase repeated, cutting her off. He looked down at it, hiding his smile at how strange she was. "This is the weirdest rejection ever."

"It's not a rejection!" Molly shouted too quickly as she glared at him. She immediately became meek again as she blushed, blinking down at the grass. "I… I just wanted you to know I didn't mean to do that to you. Or what I did last night. I didn't mean to do that either. I'd totally take it back if I could."

Chase's face darkened seriously this time. He put the lid back on the rice.

Molly felt like she was about to cry. Her throat was too tight, and her voice was coming out squeakier and squeakier as she fiddled with her fingers. "I was just so confused, and it all came at me at once, and I don't blame you if you never want to see me again because I'm a total creep, and I'm so sorry that I just decided that was okay to—wha?!"

He took her sleeve in his fist for balance and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Chase stared down at his shoes, his beet red face now matching hers. "There. Stop freaking out. Now we're even."

Molly just blinked at him, holding the spot like she couldn't believe it. "But… that didn't count."

"What?" He snapped.

Somehow, the familiar attitude made her more at ease. "Because, well…"

"What?!" Chase forced himself to look at her and found her wide eyes staring at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She tapped her lip. He was so red, steam was sure to come out of his ears.

Molly closed her eyes and waited. When she felt the seconds tick by, she started to snicker. The joke would be on her if Chase just up and walked away, but she could still feel him sitting next to her unmoving. The giggles grew.

He retorted with a sharp: "Will you cut that out?!"

She outright laughed before finally stifling it. Molly straightened her posture and waited in the dark behind her eyelids. Right when she started getting worried and opened an eye to peek, Chase grabbed her face and roughly pulled her forward. This resulted in Molly's eyes being wide open the entire time. She was actually shocked he did it. Molly thought he was too awkward like her, too timid to take the challenge she posed. But he was kissing her full on the mouth.

Chase broke away, practically pushing her from him. He fumbled for the Tupperware, finding it had flipped over. Molly was still gaping at him as he opened it and tested a pinch of her dish. "It sucks. Just like your apology."

Molly bit her lip, knowing what was coming with a rising smile.

"But that doesn't mean I won't accept it… You're such an idiot," he muttered, nudging her elbow with his.

Molly cheered and hugged his shoulders tight. It felt nice to be able to be close to Chase again without feeling like she had to apologize or hide. For the first time in weeks, everything was right in her little world.

When she normally would have let go and punched his shoulder and made fun of his barrettes on any other given day, Molly lingered, resting her head by his neck. She wondered how long she could get away with sitting like this. If she could do it all the time now. What that meant.

"Aren't your friends wondering where you are?" Chase finally asked, genuine curiosity and slight worry in his tone.

"Nah," Molly refuted. "Luna's probably busy running from Luke. He's been super clingy since the Moon Festival, she says, but I can't remember a time when he wasn't trailing after her. And Candace follows her in case she goes too far and starts throwing things. Then Kathy's making gross faces at Owen and taking pictures with him and his family and… whatever else."

"Alright then," Chase said. His arm had wound its way around her, holding her close. "That was pretty thorough."

"But! You're right," Molly sighed, letting her arms fall. She scooched forward and hopped to her feet, stretching her arms over her head. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "This is pretty suspicious looking. I'm gonna jet."

"Right," Chase agreed, absentmindedly shaking the box of rice.

"See you tomorrow?" She suggested, rocking on her heels.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay, sure," it came in one breath, negating his attempt at indifference.

Molly smiled, but she was finding it difficult to leave. "Awesome! I'm bringing ice cream. See you!"

He gave a half-wave before she disappeared. Molly rounded the stage and looked around like she was guilty, but she had the urge to laugh out loud and yell with her friends. She probably could if she used the excuse of their very first performance – which she had totally forgotten about.

She found her by the animal cutout. Chloe's face was in the head of the cow smiling wide, and Simon was taking a picture. No one saw Molly coming until they heard her.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Molly screamed, hurling herself across the festival grounds and straight onto Kathy's back. Kathy yelled in surprise but laughed and swung Molly around in circles a few times before she could hop off.

"We did it!" Molly cheered, accidentally having forgotten to greet Owen in the process.

"We did it!" Kathy echoed, holding up her fist. They bumped a little too hard, making the girls wince and hold their knuckles from their excited stupidity.

"You girls did great," Owen pitched in. He nodded to Molly. "You have a really pretty voice."

"Gee, thanks," Molly rubbed the back of her head, giggling to herself. Was Chase a secret? Because it felt like a secret. Molly wasn't good at keeping secrets. She wanted more than anything to tell everyone – even Owen right now – how great the surly chef was. _You know, since compliments were going around!_ But she wisely bit her tongue.

"There you are!" Luna snatched Molly's wrist and started dragging her. "We didn't come to just sing one song and be done, yeah? We're not going to go home after some one hit wonder!"

Kathy wrapped her arm around Candace's shoulders and followed the other two back to the stage. She threw her fist to the sky. "Luna's right! Let's show 'em what we've got!"

"Yay!" Candace quietly cheered with a few claps to express her excitement.

"Woohoo!" Was the most comprehensible word Molly could come up with as she leapt in the air and sprinted ahead, now the one dragging Luna behind.

Not only was this their first performance, their first day out in front of their loved ones… but for firsts like Chase. Whatever he was. And enthusiasm. For the first time, Molly didn't feel like she was the only one. It wasn't just some hobby. They were all equally excited to be a team. It was the start of something… big.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Weeeeeell, I just dug this story up from the grave. I thought the ending was all settled and good, but I got this bug about it until I reanimated it like Dr. Frankenstein. Now much more confident with how this story wraps up and _Open for Business_ now finished, I can write freely again! Yay!

P.S. I just wanted to say how totally weird it was that I was watching _The Wind Rises_ last night when you posted your review, WindRush. Coincidence? I THINK NOT. xD But seriously, thanks for your review – you're lovely. As are Cotton Candy Mareep, CAPJHMPAgirl, and MikariStar! Great points you guys made, and I'll be sure to consider them in future installments. Thanks for your help, I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and thanks for reading! :D

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

* * *

><p>Everything had to be perfect. If not perfect, then decently passable. Or forgettable. Ignorance would be far better than a memorable mistake.<p>

_Right, don't panic_, Chase told himself, carefully scanning the room with jittery eyes and a quickly tapping foot. Whenever Molly came over in the past (with a warning, mind – just blowing through the door whenever she felt like it became the norm), sure, Chase would straighten up a bit. Make it look like it wasn't a teenager living in the house like it was a refuse dump or sad, bachelor pad. Hide his laundry and whatever clutter in his bedroom and bar the door.

But he was beyond all reasoning at this point. He seemed to finally be getting his way for once, and Molly wanted to try them out. See if it would work between them. And as she was already a ticking time bomb of a personality, one screw up on his part could send her running for the hills another six months.

Chase was determined not to scare her off, but he was conflicted over how careful he should be about it. Was vacuuming the carpet too excessive? Desperate looking? Would she even notice?

"Oh, hell… this is the worst day of my life," he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair as he paced. He didn't even feel the shift at the bar he had worked, too pent up with energy and nerves to realize the time passing. At least he didn't burn anything in the kitchen, even though his mind was about as buoyant and unstable as a balloon.

He suddenly looked down and realized he was still wearing his apron. As it was supposed to be a casual evening, it wouldn't be so weird if he kept it on. If it weren't for the grease stains. He quickly scrambled out of it, pulling the knot too tight to undo in his haste. He forced it off over his head, wrenching the barrettes still in his hair all askew. "Shit!"

_Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock!_

"Shit, shit, shit!" Chase cursed, ripping out the bobby pins and ruffling his hair.

After a few seconds:_ Knock, knock!_

"God damn it, Molly – give me a minute!" He barked.

"It's cold out here!" Her muffled voice called from the other side of the door.

Chase pocketed the bobby pins, slicked his hair back in defeat, took a deep breath, and gripped the door knob. His bangs fell in his face, and he huffed them away as he pulled the door open. "Hey."

Molly's eyes immediately went to his hairline. She was dancing back and forth on her feet trying to keep warm, a sneaky grin forming on her lips. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold, and she was seemingly aware he was making a big deal of trying not to make a big deal. "I like the new hairdo."

"Screw off," he muttered, leaving her at the door and heading straight for the kitchen.

Molly chuckled and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She dropped her bag of goodies and shrugged out of her coat, tossing it on the first hook. "You ready for ice cream? Because I am very ready for ice cream."

"Rough day?" He asked, his tone mocking. Chase was in front of a wall mirror near his fridge, meticulously pinning back his hair just right.

"You've no idea!" Molly sighed, pretending his concern was serious. She threw herself at his sofa, kicking off her boots and letting them fall over the arm with her face in the cushion. "Lil almost kicked me!"

"Were you singing at her again?" He guessed with a snide smirk. Having his hair all in order, he met her at the couch, leaning his arms across the top and looking down at her.

Molly freed her face and blew her bangs from her forehead. "Ha. Ha. But I think she might actually be sick of me, yeah."

"Impossible," Chase said. He went to the bag she left at the door and rifled through it, finding two cartons of orange ice cream. An involuntary, goofy smile appeared on his face at the sight. "Hey, my favorite!"

"Of course!" Molly smiled, kicking her legs back and forth. She had to uncomfortably look over her shoulder to see him, so she rolled over onto her back, proudly propping her head up with her hands.

Chase opened the first carton and instantly recoiled. "Ew, gross. Why is there a mushroom just sitting in this one?!"

"So you wouldn't eat mine," she explained, swinging forward into a sitting position and holding her socks.

"Why would I eat yours?" Chase's face dead panned in annoyance. "_You're_ the big eater…"

"Oh, please. You and I both know you can eat me out of house and home and orange. If it's orange in color, the little vacuum in your mouth turns on, and everything with citrus zest in the area is inhaled," she teased.

Chase pursed his lips, capping the individual carton. He tossed it to her, and she reached up and caught it above her head. "Fine. Have your mushroom contaminated dessert."

"They're not that bad," Molly defended the little fungi even though she set it down safely in the cap in case she needed to use it against him later. She eyed her ice cream without a spoon, wondering how rude it would look if she just stuck her face in it. "They're a great garnish."

"Don't use words you don't understand," Chase said, going to a drawer at the counter and producing two spoons. He tossed one to Molly, but she missed, and it went clinking off under the coffee table. She retrieved it, rubbed it on her pant leg, and plunged it into the orange ice cream.

Molly hummed with her spoon in her mouth, filling up the silence. So far she was doing pretty well, but she couldn't disguise her nerves forever. She was sure Chase could practically see her shaking. It felt just like old times, but Molly couldn't just forget what this was supposed to be. A kind of date. Which would just so happen to be her first, so she was expecting the sky to rain fire and Satan himself to crawl out of the Goddess Pond if she didn't ruin everything herself first. Truly was the end of the world for her.

Chase noticed the quiet as well, making him feel twitchy. They needed to do something to get their minds off of… everything else. He stuck his spoon in his dessert and grabbed his camera. "Hey, wanna see something disturbing?"

"Always!" She welcomed, patting the seat next to her.

Chase hopped over the sofa and landed next to her, handing over the ancient digital camera for her to see as she tucked her legs underneath her. "Voila. Nightmare fuel."

"Ha!" Molly stifled her laugh with a hand to her mouth. She set her ice cream on the coffee table and took the camera for a better look at the little screen. It was a shot of Hamilton and his son Gill in the animal cardboard cutout that was at the Harvest Festival.

"Simon's camera broke, so he started using mine. He forgot about it though, so I got to find this today. So what do you think? Appropriate?" Chase asked, mouthful of ice cream. True to Molly's prediction, he was already almost finished with his pint.

"Yes," Molly nodded at the picture of their mayor as a cow. She handed it back to him. "And I've learned now that Gill makes an adorably grumpy horse."

Chase rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he set the camera aside.

Molly quickly lunged, surprising him into nearly dropping his spoon. He should've kept his apron on after all. "I mean! Not attractive adorable! Because I'm sure you'd look way better as a horse anyways!"

He blinked at her in shock, and Molly retracted her hand from his arm. She held her fingers in front of her mouth in obvious embarrassment. Her face lit up like someone flipped a switch. "Er… sorry… just figured that's what girlfriends were supposed to do… eh…"

Though she was convinced she was only digging herself into a deeper hole, Chase pulled on her sleeve until she limply flopped onto him, hiding her face in his shoulder. He gave her hair a pat of reassurance. "Yeah. Sure, that's what they do. Thanks."

"Sorry…" she mumbled, not willing to show her face again until it cooled down.

"But I am not dressing up as a horse," he snapped. It made her laugh, and he grinned in victory.

Molly suddenly jumped up, nearly clunking him in the jaw with her head. She snatched his camera and switched on the screen again, staring at the picture of Hamilton and Gill. Chase gave her an odd look as she seemed mesmerized by it. She turned to him, biting her lip in excitement at her newest idea. "But I know who will…"

"Molly? That face is creepy. Cut it out—!" He didn't even get to finish griping before she gave him a hug around the neck.

"Kathy! It's perfect! This is going to be so much fun!" Molly gushed, squeezing the life out of him. She hopped back and stared at his flabbergasted face, holding his cheeks and giving him an excitable kiss. "You! I just… I always get my best ideas around you – don't change! Follow me everywhere!"

"I… I can't say this is a _bad_ thing…" Chase managed, somewhere between flustered and in bewildered awe. "Okay…?"

"And the whole circus…!" Molly gasped, falling back against the sofa and staring off into space. She was lost to her own little world of animal print.

Chase scooted closer, resting his head in his palm with his elbow propped up against the couch. He eyed her melting ice cream on the table before shaking his exasperated head. "I'd ask what you're talking about, but I'd hate to bring you back to Earth."

"I just got the most _wonderful_ idea for the band," Molly said, still staring at the ceiling. She didn't have time to wonder when the awkward feeling between them disappeared. "I'll have to pitch it to the girls… Can you print this picture out for me?"

"Sure," he shrugged with disinterest. More cocky than usual, Chase snidely tugged on her hair. "But… can we get back to how perfect I am?"

Molly smiled at him, cheeks tinged pink with a light blush. She leaned her head down, letting it drop under his chin. "Okay…"

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, pressing his lips against her forehead.

"But you're not allowed to miss!" She warned, turning her face up to meet him.

Once Chase had his proper kiss, Molly gave him a warm smile, fondly rearranging the hair around his face. "_Print the picture_," she whispered.

"Alright, alright!" He grumbled, sending her into giggles. Molly snuggled across his lap and reached for the remote, already talking about the new cooking show she had just discovered that she knew he'd _love_ to make fun of.

* * *

><p>"Tada~!" Molly sang, slamming her idea literally down on the table. Once her palm was drawn back, the three girls gathered their heads together to hover over it.<p>

"A picture of Hamilton in a cow suit," Luna stated with her unimpressed voice. It was a tone reserved specifically for whenever Molly was beginning shenanigans and every time Luke opened his mouth in general.

"Don't forget Gill with the horse body," Kathy quipped even though she didn't understand either.

Molly slapped her friend in the shoulder. "Right!"

"I'm afraid I'm a bit confused…" Candace mumbled in her mousy way, pulling at the ends of her braid.

"You guys!" Molly announced, hands proudly spread wide. "These are our costumes for the band!"

"No," Luna shook her head, arms firmly crossed. "No way in hell."

"Aw! But you didn't even hear me out, Luna," Molly pouted.

"I am _not_ wearing a cow suit. I've already agreed to play the drums – I am drawing a line!" She declared with a firm stomp of her foot.

Kathy warily slid onto the counter next to the register, giving Molly a similar look of doubt herself. Though she was always up for a good pitch. "Hold your horses, baby girl. Let Molly have the floor."

"It doesn't have to be a _cow_," Molly gratefully nodded, folding her own arms defensively. "But it could be our thing! We could each pick a cute animal to dress as. It'll make us memorable. Identifiable!"

"You know… it doesn't sound that crazy," Kathy agreed with a hand to her chin. She swung her cowgirl boots back and forth as she thought aloud. "It's super cute, and it gives us an edge."

"Exactly!" Molly snapped her fingers.

"If it's like a disguise…? I kind of like that…" Candace agreed, always willing to support a way to hide.

"Why do we have to dress up? Don't we humiliate ourselves enough?" Luna complained, twirling the end of her pigtail with her index finger.

Kathy casually shrugged, knowing where to hit Luna where it would interest her. "Well, we'd save money on outfits. We'd each have a sort of uniform instead of having to worry about constantly keeping up with current fashion trends."

"Hm…" Luna pondered this, calming down to the idea considerably. "It's a little stale in the long run, but it could work…"

"Candace, you totally have to be a rabbit!" Molly burst, clinging to her friend.

"O-okay…" Candace nodded with a shy smile. At this point, she was just going along with whatever.

Kathy was quick to jump in, taking up Candace's braids and lifting them over her head like ears. "Oh my gosh, you'd be the cutest thing ever!"

"We could make it white fur. Like a jumpsuit!" Molly added. "And a little puff tail!"

"I got dibs on the horse!" Kathy's hand flew in the air.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Luna shouted above them. Heads turned to give her their undivided attention. She sighed and pushed back her bangs. "Look… if we're really going to do this, we're going to be using the cheapest material we've got here at the store. Scraps! I refuse to spend any more money on this."

They all nodded in agreement, bubbling with brimming anticipation for her approval.

"And…" Luna twiddled her fingers, shyly twisting her shoe. "I wanna be the kitten…"

"Eee!" Molly squealed, tackling her with a hug. Luna laughed and hugged her in turn, receiving Kathy as well. Candace was pulled in, and the girls jumped around in excitement, already making design plans.

"Maybe black? No grey! Grey would look so good on you!" Molly was taking notes on the other side of the counter now.

"We definitely have grey fabric," Luna nodded, watching Molly make a quick sketch. She wrinkled her nose. "What is that? A house?"

"They're kitty ears!" Molly said. It was the most obvious thing in the world; why would she say that?

Luna snatched the note pad, quickly erasing their current progress. "I'll take care of any and all design drafts."

"Hey…!" She whined, knowing full well she was a terrible artist.

"Candace, you're going to be the star of the stage," Kathy was telling her, still playing with her pigtails. Up and down and up and down. "A bunny is so perfect for you."

"Y-you think so?" Candace asked, giggling at her friends' enthusiasm.

"What other colors do you have?" Molly asked, peering over to see Luna professionally draw the plans for their outfits.

Luna tapped the pencil to her chin. "I'll have to check… but I know there's some brown back there. It's a little rough, though."

The bell jangled above the door, and a young man entered the tailor shop. He went unnoticed as the girls cooed over their plans and one another. Having waited long enough to be recognized, he obnoxiously cleared his throat, rocking on his heels and straightening out his bolo.

"How are we going to make our own headbands?" Molly asked.

"We'll need something stiff to work with," Luna agreed. "If we could get ahold of some plastic or something…"

"Oh!" Kathy waved for their attention. "Papa's got some old lids he was throwing out from some busted Tupperware. We could use those and make cutouts!"

"Ahem!" He tried again, this time in a shout. The girls stopped what they were doing and found Gill staring at them. With their attention on him, he awkwardly fumbled, not wanting to appease his bad habit of sticking his hands in his pockets when he was put on the spot. So unprofessional. "My… My father wishes to speak with you."

"I had nothing to do with it," Luna snapped, getting suspicious looks.

"Who?" Kathy asked the obvious question.

Gill gestured to all of them. "You. The four of you. Right now… please."

The girls exchanged looks of apprehension and followed the blond boy out of the store. Gill grumpily muttered to himself about 'playing messenger' as he stalked ahead of them down the street. They ascended the stairs for Town Hall, hugging their shoulders at having left their coats at the sisters' store.

"What do you think this is about?" Molly whispered, eyeing Gill's back.

Kathy shrugged, gripping her shoulders tight. If it was too cold for Kathy, it was stinking cold outside. "I don't know… Hope we're not in trouble."

Like a gentleman, Gill waited for the girls to file through, holding the door open for them and shivering in his socks. Luna strode through with her nose in the air, Kathy gave him a nod, Molly chirped a thanks, and Candace made an awkward bow before shuffling in. Gill rolled his eyes and firmly shut the door behind him.

The Town Hall was musty and quiet. It smelled like a library, and the daunting clock on the wall ticking and tocking back and forth only increased the abandoned ambiance of the place. Hamilton appeared from a back room, smiling wide upon seeing them and heading for his desk. He dumped an armful of paperwork and hurried to greet them.

"Girls, girls! Welcome! Thank you so very much for coming!" He greeted them each with a jolly handshake.

"Did we do something wrong?" Molly asked sheepishly. She heard Gill scoff with a 'tch' as he went to see what the paperwork his father had was all about.

"Never been called to Town Hall before!" Kathy joked. She still had the image of the pair behind the cutouts in her mind, giving her the giggles. "Sure must be important, eh?"

"Oh, very!" Hamilton nodded. Still, he made no motion to sit them all seriously down or handcuff 'em, so the girls were still left in doubt. He waved to his son. "Thanks for fetching them for me, son!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Gill muttered, sorting through the papers like he had a chip in his shoulder.

Molly supposed footwork wasn't exactly his forte, so it could be a bit insulting to be running paper boy errands. She turned her attention to his short father, shaking her head to clear it. "So… um…?"

"Ah! Yes!" Hamilton scurried to the corner where two regal sofas were gathered around a coffee machine. He took up a Styrofoam cup. "Coffee anyone? It's free!"

"Nothing else is…" Gill muttered under his breath, but it was easily heard across the room.

"Sure!" Kathy took a waiting cup offered to her. Molly took one as well, but both Luna and Candace refused as they were all offered seats. The girls squished onto one sofa, so they could be together and let Hamilton have the other settee to himself.

He folded his hands on his knees, watching as the girls with coffee awkwardly sipped at the scalding drinks. He slapped his thighs, making the four jump, as he got right into it. "Alrighty then! Enough of the dramatics, eh? I have some wonderful news for you girls!"

They waited, wondering where this was going. Were their mortgages paid off? Selected for a raffle? Finally getting that chocolate festival they petitioned for five years ago?

"I absolutely _loved_ your performance at the Harvest Festival," Hamilton began, already with the flattery.

"The band, _right_…" Luna nodded, stealing a sip from Molly's cup.

"So cute and talented! You girls have a big future ahead, I'm tellin' ya!" Hamilton wagged his finger at them, chuckling with pride.

"Wow, thank you, sir!" Molly gratefully bantered with him.

"I've been speaking with a fellow mayor friend of mine out in Echo Village," he divulged. "How wonderful and fun it was to have you at the festival – such a treat! Good way to spice up an old show. So Dunhill was saying how it sounded like a good 'hootenanny' or something or other… Well, the point is, he'd be delighted to have you perform this year at Echo Village's Starry Night Festival!"

"WOW, THANK YOU, SIR!" Molly repeated herself, shooting to her feet in shock.

Even though she was just as excited, Luna glared at her friend and pulled her back into her seat. It was a surprise to no one that Molly was a lousy negotiator. She cleared her throat. "Is this a… free gig then?"

Hamilton awkwardly fiddled with his fingers. "Well, it's all up to you, but right now he's offering 500G an hour. The festival's a two hour event, and they have a little gathering they do. Otherwise, the couples kind of go off by themselves, so your audience shouldn't be too over-whelming. All sorts of towns will be there though for the upcoming Winter Crop Festival they hold later in the week, so who knows? You could really get your names out there!"

The girls looked between themselves with looks of disbelief. Hamilton took it as doubt and added: "And I haven't told him if you're interested – it's entirely up to you if you accept or not. No hard feelings at all! You can get back to me any time within the week."

Molly looked to Kathy who was giving her a 'no shit' nod of approval. Even Candace, though appearing nervous, was quickly nodding her head for the opportunity. The girls waited for Luna who slapped Molly in the arm. She perked up immediately. "We're in!"

"Wonderful! Oh, how splendid!" Hamilton applauded. Gill was watching from the corner, wondering why he never decided to pick up a guitar. Could have gotten him out of all of this paperwork. Hamilton shook the girls' hands once again, bouncing about in excited spins. But before he could dismiss them, he paused. "Oh! What name shall I give him? What do you lovely ladies call yourselves?"

They blanched. Honestly, it was one of the best parts of having a band, yet it never crossed their minds. A name. Who were they? What were they going to do? Since they had settled on zoo costumes, they would have to think of something along those lines… and they had to match their upbeat, pop/country sound mixed with some elements of folk and dance.

Candace bit her nails in worry, and Luna's brow creased as she tried to come up with an idea. Molly was trying to bullshit something on the fly. All sorts of silly adjectives were running through her mind. _The screaming, elegant, fancy, roving…!?_ "Uh… er… we're…"

Kathy's arm slung around Molly's shoulder, cutting off her friend's stuttering. Holding aloft her empty cup, she said: "Tell him Molly and The Animal Parade will be there!"

"Oh, how adorable! Will do!" Hamilton congratulated, not noticing the name was made up then and there. He was too excited now, so each girl got a hug instead in fare well. Knowing how much he loathed it, the girls then forced hugs upon Gill just because it was a chance they didn't want to miss. He sourly frowned at them as his father giddily waved, the door closing behind them at last.

"The Animal Parade?" Luna asked first, calling out over the cold wind.

"It was the first thing I thought of!" Kathy held her head high. "Besides, I didn't see any of you coming up with genius ideas…"

"No, I… I like it…" Candace peeped, holding her sweater over her head for warmth as they took to the stairs.

"But why me?" Molly lamely asked, blinking at Kathy.

Kathy gave her an affectionate nudge. "This is all you, girly. Your idea, your songs, your band. We'll be your back up circus troupe. You're our headliner."

"I agree," Luna added stiffly, not liking how emotional this was becoming. All touchy feely. "Molly's name deserves to lead."

"Not just The Animal Parade…?" Molly insisted, pausing outside the door to the tailor's.

The three simultaneously shook their heads. Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to shrug it off. "Okay… well… that's that, then!"

"Aw! Come here!" Kathy cooed, wrapping Molly in a tight hug that she readily returned.

"Me, too!" Candace said, joining in on the warm circle.

"Can we get inside?!" Luna scowled, finding herself getting swarmed for another group hug instead.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Thanks for the great reviews CAPJHMPAgirl, XxBlue and CrimsonxX, and WindRush! Your excitement for this story is so contagious – my motivation is through the roof. :D Can't wait to keep writing for you guys. Hope you like this next update!

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

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><p>Propelling herself with her foot, Luna spun around and around on her high stool. She had a pencil to her lip as she concentrated on the sketchpad on her lap. Her brow creased in irritation as she struggled to concentrate with Molly giggling behind her.<p>

"We _told_ you!" Molly hopped up and down, holding Candace's hands in her own. "You're the cutest thing I've ever _seen!"_

"Th-thanks, Molly! I'm glad you like it…" Candace smiled with an embarrassed blush lighting up her cheeks. She was modelling her completed white rabbit costume while they waited for Kathy. Luna had made it to be modest and easy to build, using a pattern for footie pajamas to get the suit assembled. They kept the feet and left the hands free, so they could play their instruments. The design had been simple and a little baggy, but it worked.

Molly took the tall ears from atop her head, examining them and testing their flexibility. "This must've been a pain to sew around this plastic like that…"

"It wasn't so bad," Candace explained. She took them and showed her the edge. "I just made a pocket to fit. Sort of like making a pillow… It was difficult getting them to stay on the headband, though. We had to make them smaller, so they wouldn't be so heavy and wobbling all over."

"Wow, you guys really thought this through," Molly marveled. Her time had been taken up with her wintry farm, Chase, and a new song. The lyrics that had been sticking together in her head like honey were flowing freely now. All she needed was some help with the bass line, and she'd be able to start on that whenever Kathy decided to show up.

Luna pouted and slapped her pencil down. She spun around to face her sister and friend. "I'm sick of waiting. Molly, have you thought about what animal you want to be?"

"Oh, not at all…" she admitted, bashfully twisting her hair. "See, I kind of wanted to be a cow or maybe a dog like Tucker…"

"That's not cute at all! We need something… sexier. You're front and center, so you need to catch some eyes," Luna drummed her fingers on the pad.

Both Molly and Candace blushed at the suggestion, wringing their fingers in worry. Candace squeaked when she saw a customer walk in, quickly pushing through to hide her bunny costumed self in the back.

"Think about it," Luna nodded to the farmer. She hopped from the stool and placed her sketchpad down on her seat, fluffing her skirt before going to see how to help the woman browsing.

_Hm… something sexy? How was she going to pull off sexy?!_ Everyone knew Molly was the last to have any kind of sex appeal. She was clumsy. Somewhere below Candace in that cute department since she garnered more pity and cringes than 'aw's. Kathy was sexy. Luna could definitely have a shot if she grew up a little to match her personality. Molly ruefully had to admit Candace had a better shot with her 'shy, virgin bride' kind of shtick she could pull. Molly was raucous and silly and altogether not sexy.

Besides, Luna took the cat already, which was where Molly's ideas of cute animals ran out. And if she couldn't be a dog, she was out of options.

Molly took Luna's sketches and crawled atop the stool to examine them. She listened to her friend in the background pitching a new dress design to the client while she looked over the drawings on her lap. She used the pencil to tap her chin. "Something… something… Hey, Candace! You there?"

"Yes?" She whispered in a squeak behind the wall.

"What colors do you guys have to use? Brown, right?" Molly tried to think of animals in that color.

"And grey… but Luna's costume is already finished in that. She used all we had," Candace said.

"Hm… and I can't do Tucker since you're all white. That's too much white," Molly sighed with her last idea out of the window.

"Sorry!"

"No, don't apologize!" Molly giggled. She hummed to herself. "You know, I might not be able to use this brown either since Kathy wanted to be a horse…"

"Okay, you have a nice day~!" Luna trilled, waving as the woman left without buying anything. Once the door closed out the chill, she huffed at her bangs, stomping back over to her friends. "Bitch… So where are we? Kathy's still not here?"

Molly shook her head. "Nope, not yet."

"Have you heard from her? We were supposed to meet an hour ago!" Luna put her hands on her hips defiantly.

She shook her head in the negative once again, looking at the ceiling as she spun side to side on the stool. "No… but I might have an idea where she _could_ be…"

Luna threw her hands in the air. "Well, great! That helps. I vote we start without her, then. Molly, what animal are you going to be?"

"I don't know!" Molly squeaked, holding the sketchpad up as a shield against the unruly pinkette. "Give me some more time!"

Luna rolled her eyes. Her cheeks coloring at the suggestion, she crossed her arms and said: "Well… maybe if I showed you what my outfit looked like… it'd give you an idea."

"Good idea!" Molly clapped.

Candace finally crept back into the open now that she was sure the two were the only ones in the store. Though her grandmother was very supportive of their musical adventures, Candace would be mortified if Shelly saw her wearing such a silly outfit. It was a good thing she was visiting with Irene today. Candace hugged her shoulders as Luna passed her to fetch her own costume. "Are you sure this is a… a good idea, Molly? I feel pretty silly…"

"That's because you're the only one wearing it right now," Molly reassured, giving her shoulder a pat. "Don't worry! Once Luna's out here and we get my costume started, it'll totally grow on you. You won't want to take it off!"

"Okay…" she mumbled doubtfully, tugging on the sleeves that were stubbornly only to her wrists.

It wasn't long at all until Luna appeared. Molly immediately applauded with squeals of delight. Luna's face darkened as she stood before her like she was being judged, not expecting such a thrilled reaction. Candace giggled at seeing her sister put on the spot for once.

"Wow! This is great! I love what you did without the sleeves!" Molly fawned, bouncing all around the girl to see the suit from all angles.

Luna kept her cool, flicking her hair over her shoulder with one of her fingerless gloved-hands. "Well, we had to get rid of the sleeves entirely since it looked too much like a mouse. I pointed the ears, curved the tail, and added these gloves to make things look more feline. Besides, Kathy and Candace can't have gloves with their instruments, so I took advantage of it."

"I want gloves, too!" Molly bounced in awe. "I love them! They're so cute!"

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Luna chuckled, passing her by and leaning over her sketch pad. "Hm… gloves, eh? What do you think about a raccoon? That seems to fit you."

"Ooo! Yeah!" She agreed, holding her hands in circles over her eyes. "And I can wear one of those mysterious masks! Smolder~"

Candace giggled at Molly's pose, and the brunette blew her a kiss. Luna rolled her eyes, but she got an idea. Holding up her hand, she ran to the back and reappeared with a brown suit of pajamas similar to the other two. She held it up to Molly's frame, and the girl instantly stiffened to become a mannequin.

"Isn't that Kathy's…?" Candace peeked over Luna's shoulder.

Luna nodded, carefully observing Molly. "Yeah… but they're the same size. And since she's not here, it's going to Molly!"

"Aw, I don't want to steal the horse from her!" Molly whined.

She stuck her nose in the air, holding the suit out for her to take. "Well, too bad! We'll never get this done in time for practice tonight if we don't start right away. We'll just have to figure out something else for her when she gets here."

Molly pouted her lip, but she didn't argue as she started to strip in the middle of the store to put the suit on. Candace shrieked and Luna scolded her as the sisters took her around to the kitchen before she could get her shirt off. Molly was glaringly oblivious to public establishments.

"We haven't sewn sleeves on it yet…" Candace said as Molly modelled the suit and Luna ran circles around her to sketch the rest of the design.

"That's fine. Molly doesn't need sleeves," Luna quipped. "Gloves, remember?"

"Are you sure this is okay?" Molly asked again. She eyed the door every few seconds, expecting Kathy to tear in and demand her costume.

"We can make her a black horse or whatever. We'll worry about her later," Luna said with authority, making Molly shut up. She drew the long curve of the bushy tail, wondering how they were going to give it a support system without making it look too clunky. As she attached the line with another curved one to make the familiar tail of the raccoon, she paused before drawing in the rings. Luna looked from the sketch to Molly and back. "Hold up. Don't move. I've got it!"

"Got what?" Molly asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"What is it, Luna?" Candace echoed, taking the sketch pad thrust at her. She looked over the design, not knowing what her sister was seeing.

"Candace, start sewing the ears. Use the same pattern for mine," Luna ordered, taking up the scissors. "I'll start cutting the tail. If we anchor it to the back here… see?"

"Oh…" Candace nodded. Her eyes widened as she saw what her sister was planning. Her cheeks flushed. "Oh-oh!"

"I wish I wasn't in the dark," Molly said.

Luna waved her hand at her. "Shut up! We'll have your costume ready soon. You'll love it! I promise!"

"Okay…"

"And if you don't – I'll wear it!" Luna snapped, rolling out the rest of the brown fabric, picking up some white left from Candace's scraps.

Molly watched them in awe, wrapped up in how the girls worked. It was obvious the sisters had done this all their lives, expertly pinning and cutting and hemming with speedy ease. She was so engrossed in their work that she didn't hear the bell ring as someone entered the front room.

"Phew! It's so cold!" Kathy called, stomping her boots free of snow on the mat. She untied the scarf from around her neck and shook her ponytail out from under the knit cap. Taking off her mittens, she stared around the empty room in confusion. Hearing some snipping from the kitchen, she hesitantly peeked around the corner. "Guys?"

"You're late!" Luna said first through pins in her mouth.

"Hi," Candace smiled shyly from her sitting spot on the floor, holding Molly's finished ears and the headband they were almost attached to.

"Sorry! I got caught up helping prepare for the dinner rush with Papa," Kathy apologized with an easy lie, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. "You know how busy it gets on Fridays. We open in a couple hours though, so we've got time, right?"

"Kathy! I'm so sorry!" Molly gushed, trying to hide behind the kitchen table so her friend couldn't see.

"Sorry?" Kathy chuckled. "What are you guys wearing? Are these the outfits already?!"

"Yeah," Luna said, dropping the last pin in the jar and sitting up straight. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed. The action was perfectly suited for her cat costume. "Three out of four done!"

"Wow…" Kathy said, impressed with their speed as well. If she ever tried to sew anything, it'd take forever. When she repaired a chair cushion for the restaurant, it took her half an hour.

"Molly, come here!" Luna demanded, chasing Molly around the table with the finished tail. "We have to put this on!"

"No!" Molly shook her head. "This can still be Kathy's!"

"Mine?" Kathy asked, a wrinkle of bewilderment in her brow.

Candace was left to explain as Luna tackled Molly to the floor, sitting on her back as she sewed the tail on. An occasional scream of pain was heard, then Luna would scold her for wriggling. Candace scratched her cheek, unsure of what to say. "See… um… since you weren't here, we used the suit we made for your horse costume for Molly. Luna got a really good idea, and…"

"Aw, that's okay," Kathy shrugged, even though it was obvious she was disappointed. It was her fault for being so late anyways. She tossed her bag against the wall and slid down to sit next to Candace. She poked her ears. "Glad you got the rabbit, Candace. You look great!"

"Th-thanks!" She chirped in response, fondling the headband atop her head.

"Finally!" Luna cheered. She stood and smoothed her skirts like her attack never happened, leaving Molly face down on the floor behind her. She took the ears from Candace and tossed them at her, clapping her hands in finality. "Well, that's done. Alright. Kathy, you're going to have to go with a Plan B."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kathy said, mussing up her hair. The ends were still sparkling with melting snowflakes. "What other colors do you have?"

"We have brown left!" Molly insisted, her face still in the floor.

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Too much brown, hon."

"Right! We need something that will pop…" Luna agreed, rubbing her chin. She went to an overloaded chest and stuck her head in. Only finding scraps too small, she grumbled as the biggest piece had polka dots. "This is the biggest thing we have. And it's hideous."

"No, wait…" Kathy struggled as she propelled herself to her feet. She took it from Luna, wrapping it around herself. The girls laughed as she modelled it. "People always said I was tall… yeah?"

"Oh my God!" Molly jumped up. She took the yellow fabric from her, holding it against Kathy herself. "If we covered these blue ugly things with brown, doesn't she look like a giraffe?!"

"Exactly!" Kathy high-fived her. "Sweet. Done."

"I love it!" Candace congratulated. "The headband would be really easy, too…"

"Alright. Fine! Everyone's good!" Luna smirked, looking them all over. She indicated herself, pointing to each girl in turn. "We have a cat, a rabbit, a giraffe, and—"

"Kathy! I almost forgot!" Molly pulled on her friend's arms. "I've got this new song, but I need help with the music part again. Can you help me?"

"I like it," Candace nodded to her sister.

"Of course, darlin!'" Kathy giggled, ruffling Molly's hair. "What's it about?"

"Such a strange circus we've got," Luna shook her head good-humoredly. "I sure wouldn't pay money to see it!"

"A _boooooy_," Molly exaggerated with a laugh. She punched Kathy in the shoulder. "Isn't that what was keeping you all afternoon? I see Owen likes the flavor of your lip gloss~"

"What did I just hear?" Luna turned, as did Candace to reunite their conversations.

"_Molly!_" Kathy scolded, slapping her arm. She grumpily crossed her arms, determined to hold a grudge. Too bad she was pretty bad at that. As Molly leered at her, she smiled back. "You're awful!"

"With love~!" Molly giggled. "Now, about that song—"

"We have a new song?" Candace piped up, not hearing about this before.

"Debuting at rehearsal tonight!" Molly announced with a bow.

Luna smugly held a hand on her hip, looking like a very surly kitty. Which was incredibly hard to take seriously. "Glad you're finally getting your shit together. Now everybody out! We have to close soon, and I don't want to spend all night sewing a giraffe costume!"

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><p>Molly hummed the completed song to herself, slapping her mattress for a beat as she looked through the pages. As she had told Candace, Molly was already quite used to her own costume. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever want to take it off. Though Luna had warned her the brown scraps they had used would be rough, they felt like her favorite flannel pajamas. It was only natural to relax in it.<p>

The smile on her face grew as the chorus began, and she clapped her hands in rhythm. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm as she sang the next line. "His eyes on me… I'm going crazy!"

She jumped up from her bed, passing the empty mugs of hot cocoa she had shared with Kathy before she left to prepare for practice. Tucker raised his head as he watched her, tongue lolling as he panted by the fireplace. Molly danced around the table, leaving the sheets of music behind. She knew all of the words already. "Back of my mind, behind that curtain! Can't concentrate, these—oh!"

Molly stopped her spastic dancing. Pushing her bangs from her eyes, she ran to the window and peeked out. Her smile growing, she rushed to her door and pulled it open. Tucker was barking in excitement, so she snagged his collar before he pounced. "Hi!"

"I can't believe you're still here, you're going to be late for practice, _what_ are you wearing?" It all came out in one breath as Chase's tone and expression changed from irritable to downright gawking. His jaw comically dropped as he began to laugh at her outfit, and Tucker was released to smell his hands in greeting.

"Hey!" Molly complained, holding her arms over her torso in defense. "I'm late because I was waiting for you! And I wanted to show you my new costume for the band…"

"Well, as long as you like it," Chase chuckled, hiding his hands in his coat pockets as the big dog snorted at him.

Molly rolled her eyes in a huff and left the door as Chase invited himself in. She went to her dresser and yanked the drawer open. "You're so rude! I thought you'd like it."

Getting his first look at the tail, he had to hold in his laughter again. He put a fist to his mouth as he closed the door behind him and walked to the table, sitting on the edge and propping his leg up on a chair. "Yeah, it's cute. Are the other girls wearing it, too?"

"Yup! We're all animals, but I'm the only fox~" Molly proudly turned, clothes to change into in her hand. She did a little curtsey. "Do you really think I'm cute?"

"Don't milk it…" Chase muttered, pulling at his bangs. Tucker came back to smell at him, so he gave him a pat. Having calmed down, the Pyrenees got a drink at his dish before plopping down in his spot by the fire.

Glad she got him a little flustered, she happily spun around and started to unzip her costume. Molly looked over her shoulder. "Well? Turn around!"

"Oh! Jeez… a little warning next time…" Chase left the table and turned as commanded. What he didn't expect was to be facing a dark window, giving him the full view of Molly's back as she stripped down to her underwear and left the fox costume behind. He blushed and held a hand to his eyes and stared at the floor, clearing his throat to appear casual as she put her shirt on behind him. "Uh… when's Echo again?"

"Echo?" She parroted. Molly hiked up her pants, remembering that was the name of the village with the gig she told him about. She had been so excited about it, that she had rushed him while he was trying to nap before his dinner shift. "Oh! Right! Their festival is on the twentieth, so we're going to leave this time next week. Why?"

"Good…" he nodded, peeking at the window to see if it was safe. Molly didn't like her shirt, so she was changing into a different sweater, somehow shirtless again when he looked. Chase instantly darkened again, trying to look anywhere else. "Because! Uh… the Starry Night Festival. Here. Next Wednesday."

"Oh, yeah…" Molly remembered, freeing her hair and smoothing it from the static. Not telling him it was okay to look yet, she crept up behind him, hugging his shoulders. "Hey! We can go together this year! Like a date! Yeah?"

"Yeah!" He had jumped at her sudden proximity. Since she was there though, he assumed it was fine for him to turn around at last. And lo and behold, Molly was fully clothed and dressed to go out in the weather. "Like a… date or whatever."

"We should've done this _eons_ ago – which I know is totally my fault!" She cut him off with a pointed finger before he could retort. But she gave him a grin. "It's fun having you around."

"Glad I entertain," he sarcastically replied with a smirk. Molly was giving him a weird look. "What?"

"I don't know," she frowned. "Are we supposed to tell anyone? I don't think it's anyone's business, but…"

He took her gloved hand and shrugged, enjoying her flushed face. "Eh, let 'em figure it out. Come on – you're going to be late."

"Eee, you're right!" Molly leaned across him and snatched up her packet of music sheets. She waved to Tucker as he ran to follow her to the door. "Stay here, boy! Be good and watch the house until I get back, okay?"

"Is it alright to leave your fireplace like that?" Chase asked as she closed the door behind them and locked it.

Molly pocketed her keys, taking up his hand again. "Yeah, it's the only heat I've got, so I don't want to leave him in the cold, you know? I won't be gone long anyways. Now let's _go_ – we're going to be late!"

"_You're_ late!" Chase snapped, getting jerked along behind her as she lunged ahead into the snow. He tried to pull her back to walk at a more normal pace, but he was only forced along faster. That's what he got when dealing with a farmer with more upper arm strength. "I'll be early!"

"Papa Hayden could use help peeling the potatoes!" Molly sang, now jogging down the hill with Chase in her iron grip, making him jog to catch up, too.

"Aw…!" Chase groaned.

She winked at him. "Besides, this way you'll be the first to hear the new song about you!"

"About me?!" But she didn't respond. Chase made no further argument as they plowed their way quite literally to town, snow kicking up like dust in their wake. _He just __had__ to choose the energetic girl!_

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><p>"You're late!" Luna shouted from her seat, arms crossed with drumsticks in her fists.<p>

"Sorry!" Molly was already wriggling out of her coat as she opened the Brass Bar's door, breathing hard from the run. She tossed her coat aside as she hopped up on stage to the ready microphone awaiting her.

"You better be," Kathy stuck her tongue out in teasing.

"W-we should focus on starting, right?" Candace intervened, thinking the girls were actually mad.

"That's the kind of enthusiasm I like to hear!" Molly pumped her fist as the door opened and Chase entered. To make things less awkward, they had agreed to pretend to arrive separately. He didn't even glance at the group as he hung up his coat in back and casually tied his apron, greeting Hayden behind the bar.

Luna snatched the papers Molly handed to her. As she looked over the new song, her eyebrows rose. "This is a lot more… hardcore than the usual."

"Very drum and guitar heavy," Kathy agreed with a smirk. She was the only other person who knew what the song was like since she helped Molly with the final touches. "That's why we switched the setting on Candace's keyboard for that synth sound."

"Wow, this sounds really loud…" Candace noted the exclamation points in the lyrics and her rapid melody. "Do you think we can do it? I-in time for Echo Village?"

"Of course! I don't doubt you guys for a second," Molly gave them a thumbs up. She positioned herself at the microphone, muttering under her breath: "And it should help that I know all of the lyrics this time, so…"

"Good!" Luna shot back, having heard her. She propped the sheets on her music stand, getting a feel for where it was going. "So should we look it over for a while or just jump right in?"

"I wanna jump right in," Kathy volunteered, adjusting her music stand and hiking up her guitar strap. "This looks fun!"

"I'll try my best!" Candace agreed, hands wary over the keys.

"Awesome!" Molly said, gripping the stand and pulling the microphone up to her chin. She took a deep breath. "Everyone ready? Okay… this first part's the a capella, so you guys jump in all at once after—"

"We can read music, Molly!" Luna reprimanded with a huff.

"Okay, okay!" Molly laughed and rolled her shoulders to loosen up. She gave herself a whispered pep talk, helping her get in the zone. "This is the first run… and… go…"

Though she had said it herself, all three girls were taken aback as Molly began the song with twice the power they expected to hear out of her. Her vocals continued strong and with personality, hitting everything just as promised. Kathy frantically readied for the bass, Candace began the backing chords a little late, and Luna wasn't prepared for the work out she was about to get as she followed the progression.

It took the band three more tries to get going smoother. By the time they were talking it through and practicing individual, specific parts, patrons started to file in through the door. Kathy made to drop her stuff to waitress, but Hayden waved her the okay to keep practicing. Though she was worried, Chase and her father were handling the bar goers with relative ease without her. Still, she bit her lip through the rehearsal.

"Hey, that's my girlfriend!" Luke, a regular at the bar, declared from his seat. He was one of few people who could start drinking at this hour. Luke held his beer up in tribute, nudging the stranger next to him from out of town. "See the drummer? I'm dating the drummer."

"We are not! Stop telling lies – you're so embarrassing, Luke!" Luna denied, messing up the beat with the distraction as she fumed and blushed simultaneously. Candace left the piano to soothe her sister, telling her to ignore the carpenter since he was just drunk as usual.

"I've got dibs on the bass player," Owen remarked, giving Kathy a salute with his own drink. She timidly smiled, looking away.

"Woo!" Luke cheered, giving him a slap on the back.

Molly was secretly grateful her guy in the kitchen wasn't so showy. She shot a look his way and found him busy at the stove. When she looked away, she didn't feel the gaze he sent her way. They had unwittingly been playing eye tag for the past half an hour, but it didn't go completely unnoticed.

For instance, Kathy was finding it a good distraction from her own boyfriend. She watched as Molly sang out each note with confidence and precision, making herself the powerhouse of the band and claiming her deserved spot as headliner. And Chase was in the kitchen going back and forth to the bar and tables as a waiter, smiling to the customers and whistling. _Whistling_. Their equally chipper attitude was mighty suspicious. Kathy smirked.

"One more time, and that'll be a wrap!" Molly announced as a few more patrons entered, mingling with the locals. The girls nodded, a little winded from the energy of the song. They hovered over their respective instruments, waiting for that first verse from Molly.

She grabbed the microphone and closed her eyes, getting herself lost as she blared out the lyrics once again.

_"I've got a backstage boyfriend starting the show!_  
><em>He revs up the guitars, and we're ready to go!<em>  
><em>We start 1, 2, 3…"<em>

Sigh. _And_—!

Molly grinned, swooning from the stand. _"My baby!"_


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Thanks for the reviews WindRush, CAPJHMPAgirl, and person! I'm so excited to show you guys what's in store, so I'd better write even faster. So here's another update! Thanks for reading! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

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><p>Kathy took out the last foam curler from the brunette's head, carefully unwinding it and setting it on the vanity with the rest. A lilting, violin soundtrack played over Molly's boom box. As Kathy rolled her eyes and combed out the curls, Molly danced in her chair to the song.<p>

"It sounds like he's not even trying~!" Molly said with a dreamy sigh. The song finished and the CD skipped to the next track. It was a much more upbeat number, but Kathy was glad her friend wasn't attempting to bounce along with it – it was hard enough trying to wrangle her into sitting still as it was.

"That's just a testament to how much he practices," Kathy said, pursing her lips as she wound up Molly's hair together. Since it was somewhere between short and medium in length, it was difficult to fit it into the sparkling bun cap. Once clamped, she gave it a triumphant pat, putting her hands on her hips. "He makes it look easy!"

"That'll be us soon," Molly promised, looking up into the mirror. She let out a laugh at seeing her completed up-do and Kathy's curler begotten head. Jumping up from her seat, she motioned for Kathy to sit down. "Come on, come on! Hurry up – the festival starts in an hour, and you look like a grandmother."

Kathy stuck out her tongue but did as she was told, spreading out her skirt as she took a seat. She began to paint her nails navy while Molly got to work on her head.

The girls had the same routine every year. It was mostly for the Starry Night Festival, but for any particularly special occasion, Kathy and Molly would do each other's hair and makeup. Their traditional, Tuesday sleepovers had expanded out to many other outlets in their lives. Since losing their mothers, the best friends quickly found they were filling the void that was left from the loss… which also explained how they could get so worked up worrying and doting on one another.

"Is this from his latest album?" Kathy asked, particularly liking the new song. Usually, they all ran together for her at some point. She didn't have anything against Mikhail since his music was either light-hearted or brooding, opening to two very specific moods, but he wasn't her style all of the time. She liked party anthems and smooth ballads.

"_Farewell, lonely, summer girl_… _You'll be a fall memory soon, girl…_" Molly nodded in response as she unclipped a curl, humming along with the Mikhail CD she had playing on repeat. She had all three of his albums – which was no easy feat living so far out in itty bitty Castanet. She had the first one imported from the city for an outrageous sum before his hometown started stocking his merchandise. It was cheaper for her to buy them locally, but the shipping was still obscene. Still, Molly's determination to be his number one fan went unhindered, and she gave her biggest poster of him poised with his violin a proud glimpse every now and again from the corner of her eye. Since starting the band, she felt more at his level. Mikhail was some distant entity, but now she could actually relate to him in a way. It made him feel like a long distance friend.

As the comfortable silence listening to the music stretched on, Molly prompted her friend to talk about Owen to fill the gaps. That was a surefire gossip cue – and Kathy took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

"I… I actually wanted to talk to you about that…" Kathy carefully spread the brush over her little finger's nail, frowning as she accidentally smudged the paint on her index finger.

"Hm? Well, what is it? Something wrong?" Molly's voice got harder on the last question, casting a suspicious glare towards the mirror at her friend's downcast face. She had grown considerably less uneasy about Kathy dating Owen, but it was still a touchy subject for her. Molly (and everyone else in the village for that matter) knew they would get together eventually. Kathy had been fawning over him long before Molly hit the peninsula, and they were almost eerily compatible. She couldn't still help but feel jealous though. Molly had little to nothing in common with the miner, so his time with Kathy was always spent away from her. She hadn't exactly reached out to 'forge a friendship' as it were, but Molly couldn't bring herself to force anything. Molly could only hope things would just… fall into place.

"No! Don't be so uppity," Kathy chided with a light laugh. "I just wanted some advice, I guess. See, I… I really, _really_ like him."

"Oh… okay, good. So what's up?" Molly unwound the curls until her blonde locks were springing out around her shoulders. Kathy had beautiful hair. Her father Hayden wouldn't talk about it, but he had been doing Kathy's hair since she was born. Even Luna used to be crazy jealous of Kathy's perfect, shining tresses and clever yet cute styles. Molly couldn't help but wonder if Kathy enjoyed these visits or if she'd rather have her father fix her hairdos for her instead. She certainly didn't have a steady hand, and her hairstyles would always come out a little lopsided.

"What's that frown? Are you zonin' out on me?" Kathy teased, smirking into the mirror with one hand finished. She blew on the freshly glossed nails, tapping them to check that they were dry before starting on the other.

Molly cheekily smiled back at her, glancing between eye contact and attempting to get her hair into a smooth ponytail. "Maybe yes, maybe no. I admit the Owen stories sound suspiciously similar after awhile."

Kathy gave her a whap to the arm, getting chuckles out of them both. Still, she got to the point quicker with less beating around the bush. "Fine! So I was over at his house the other night, and we were talking. Just hangin' out… and I couldn't help but think that… I'm going to marry this boy…"

Molly's hands hesitated in surprise as she fluffed out the curls around Kathy's head. She bit her lip, avoiding looking at the mirror as she snatched the mousse.

"Like it's inevitable… but not in a bad way," Kathy quickly amended as she went on, not sensing her friend's tension behind her. "I just… we're leaving in a couple days, and this is a big festival. I think… Well, I want to make it bigger."

"Oh… _oh_," Molly finally caught on, her eyes bugging.

"Don't say '_oh_' like that!" Kathy mimicked, hitting her friend out of her stupor and blushing darkly.

"Well…!" At a loss for words, Molly, too, went red in the face. Blowing at her bangs, she shook her head to center herself and laid a comforting hand on Kathy's shoulder. "Don't… don't do it to prove anything. If it's what you want, and you're ready… do what you think is best, Kathy."

Kathy held the hand on her shoulder, smiling bashfully into the mirror at the brunette. "Thanks, Molly. That's good to hear."

"And remember you can always say no whenever you want. And protection – that's a thing, too," Molly reaffirmed, briskly winding up Kathy's curly mess and twisting it atop her head to create a similar bun to her own. "And if he doesn't respect you, get out of there. Actually, do you want me to tag along with you tonight? To make sure nothing gets out of hand?"

"God, no!" Kathy laughed aloud, a hand springing up to contain her giggles. "I don't want you _watching_—!"

"I never said—!" Molly gasped in offense.

"He's a sweet guy," she interrupted with an eye roll. "Sure, he's not much of a big talker, but he's a great person. I can feel it… There's nothing to worry about. You know… speaking of which…"

"Eh?" Molly prompted, holding bobby pins in her mouth as she gathered her impossible amounts of hair. She was still flustered from over-doting, so she was happy to get onto another subject.

"Well…" Kathy bit her lip. She had her suspicions about Molly and Chase being an item, but how could she bring it up? Molly hadn't reacted well the last time they had talked about it, but things seemed to have smoothed over since then. And yet… Kathy feared that Molly was ignoring things again, and Chase was taking it with the punches. So she'd hate to stir up painful topics to fill her own curiosity.

As Kathy sat conflicted and Molly watched her in confusion, the phone on her dresser rang. Molly cursed and spit out the pins onto the vanity, holding up Kathy's hair in one fist as she precariously reached for the phone with the other. She snatched the receiver on her tip toes and bounced back into place as she brought it to her ear. "Yellow?"

"_It'd be nice if you could say 'hello' like a normal person for once,"_ the bitter response came through the line.

Molly smirked but quickly stifled it, balancing the phone on her shoulder as she lassoed Kathy's hair. The blonde winced at the tug. "What's up?"

"_Someone listening in or something?"_ Chase guessed from her short answer.

"Yep," she said, taking up a pair of bobby pins and quickly going around her handiwork to anchor it.

"Who is it?" Kathy whispered, suddenly grabbing her head at another nasty pull. She quickly twisted the cap of the nail polish and checked that her work was unharmed before carefully patting her roots.

"_Ah, so it's Kathy. I just called to ask when I should be over,"_ he replied. There was a clang in the background, and he muttered curses about dropping something.

"N-no…" Molly stuttered, finishing off Kathy's hair and turning away from the mirror. She brought the mouthpiece closer to her lips and in a hushed tone said: "I'll meet you there. Okay?"

"Is that Chase?" Kathy rightly guessed, looking over her finished up do in the mirror before swiveling around in her chair. "Why are you acting all secretive?"

"I'm not!" Molly stuck her tongue out over her shoulder. "It's just a private phone call – buzz off!"

"Buzz off?!" Kathy's jaw dropped. She rose with a huff, holding out her hand. "Gimme that phone, you rude batoot."

"No!" Molly hissed, dashing away and holding the mouthpiece as best as she could to keep their argument quiet.

"_You… didn't tell her, did you?"_ Chase asked, pausing putting on his shoe. He couldn't handle the thought of the girls giggling stupidly about him. Kathy would never let him hear the end of it, shift after shift at work… He started to feel queasy.

"Nope!" She shook her head. Molly squeaked as Kathy pursued her, ducking under the phone cord and hiding underneath her vanity. "No fear! See you there."

"_Oh… okay, yeah,"_ he ruffled his hair and took his scarf from the rack. His phone cord was pulled to the max, and he took one step too far, sending it careening with a bang off of the table. _"Ah! Shit! Bye!"_

"Yeah… bye!" She held in a laugh as she heard him scramble to end the call.

Kathy reeled in the phone cord, and the receiver was finally stolen from Molly's grasp. She let out a triumphant 'aha!' as she pulled the phone up and held it to her cheek. "Chase, is that you? What's this all – why is this just a dial tone?"

Molly giggled, crawling out from her hiding spot and brushing off her tights. Kathy hung up the phone with a pout. "We're quicker than you are, nosey!"

Kathy crossed her arms, watching as Molly innocently folded out the wrinkles and patted away the dust from her dark dress. "What are you two up to tonight?"

"Not what you and Owen are planning," Molly gave her a sassy wink which lit up her cheeks at the mention. "We're just hanging out again like we do every festival. Why?"

"Ah, nothing…" Kathy surrendered, pushing in the vanity chair and taking another peek in the mirror. She adjusted a stray curl or two hanging down, framing her face with them. "Just wondering what's been going on with all of that. Don't pretend that phone call wasn't suspicious as all hell. You okay?"

"Huh?" Molly's nose scrunched. Her eyes went wide when she realized Kathy was still in the dark. _Well, there's that argument of 'should we tell anybody?'_ She huffed at her bangs, wondering how mad Chase would be if she tattled. But what if he wasn't ready for people to know they were a thing? _And it was so embarrassing!_ Molly certainly wasn't looking forward to the teasing either.

"Molls?" Kathy turned from the mirror and skeptically studied her. "You alright? You and Chase?"

Finally mustering up an answer, Molly awkwardly chuckled. "Ha, yeah! Everything's back to normal!"

"Oh," Kathy was taken aback, surprised to hear that. So Chase was suffering in silence after all. "I… I guess that's good?"

"Yeah!" Molly chirped.

There wasn't a retort she had for that. Kathy scratched at her cheek, watching as her friend dashed about the room to collect her things and switch off the radio. "Okay…"

"We'd better get going! Owen's supposed to meet you beforehand, right?" Molly asked, shrugging her coat on.

Kathy stood straight, remembering what she had decided. With a firm nod, she took up her wooly coat and followed Molly to the door. "Right."

Molly gave her stiff friend a nudge to the shoulder. "Relax! Nothing's set in stone. Just have a good time, okay? And if things go that way, they do. Good for you!"

She nervously chuckled as Molly locked the front door behind them. Kathy was happy to have Molly's support, and Molly was glad Kathy had dropped the Chase topic. They chatted about where they'd go to watch the stars as Molly heaved open her barn door and whistled, unravelling the leash from her pocket.

Kathy stopped in her tracks. "Molly, leave Tucker home! It's so cold."

"Oh, come on, he loves this festival!" Molly whined, greeting the happy Pyrenees. She held his massive paws away from batting at her tights and ripping them to shreds. She clipped the cord to his collar and pulled just in time before he could give Kathy the same, violent hello. "Besides, I've got the leash on him, see? He'll be fine!"

"Luna will kill you if you let him loose like you did last year," Kathy shook her head in defeat, falling into step with her as their shoes crunched down the hill through the snow. "He plowed through couples like a lickin' bulldozer."

"Yeah, that was fun~" Molly chortled with a spring in her step.

"You life ruiner," Kathy accused, shoving her along the path.

The girls bickered and teased one another before they went their separate ways at the crossroads. Molly to meet Chase at the festival grounds with the rest of the villagers and Kathy to meet Owen on the mountainside to watch the stars alone on the other side of the island. They hugged each other for luck, and immediately attempted last minute fixes on their hair. After poking and prodding the other in annoyance, they hugged again and parted before they could be late.

Molly waved high over her head as Kathy turned her back and ran. She let her arm fall to her side with a sigh, finding Tucker's head ready for a scratch. She rubbed his ear, staring after her friend. "She's so grown up now… we all are… aren't we, boy?"

She giggled as his wet nose turned to sniff curiously at her palm. Molly ruffled the fur atop his head and patted her leg for him to follow. "Come on! She'll be fine. Like she said – Owen's a good guy. I'm just jealous and afraid of getting older. Yeah. That explains the terrible pit in my stomach…"

Even as the festival began and she was looking up at the clear, starry sky, Molly couldn't get the worry out of her mind. In order to sit in the snow without getting freezing wet, the villagers threw down a piece of ply wood before they piled on their blankets and picnic baskets. It wasn't the most comfortable or easy to carry seat, but it was better than burrowing in the cold.

"Are you nervous about the gig?"

She was jogged back into the present, feeling disoriented and drowsy with her heavy thoughts. Molly looked to her right and found Chase shivering slightly with his blanket tight around his shoulders. She looked down where Tucker's big head was sprawled across her lap, puffing clouds of hot air into the cold. Molly shrugged. "A bit, I guess. I was actually way more nervous for the Harvest Festival. I think it's a lot more nerve-wracking when you know everyone in the audience."

"Then wh-what are you so upset about?" His teeth chattered as he tried to bury his hands deeper in his coat.

Molly smiled as she eyed the hill packed with villagers. It was so similar to the Moon Viewing Festival. Families and couples all gathered in their little spots a fair distance from each other. Mind, Molly and Chase were the furthest back behind his house again. Tucker's tail started to thump happily against the wood board beneath them, and she stroked his head. "Do you think Kathy and Owen are going to get married next year?"

"They've been only dating for a few months," Chase said, looking back up at the sky. A shooting star passed overhead. "Then again… Why? She say something about it?"

"Yeah, I'm just… jealous," Molly admitted. She looked over at Chase shuddering again and realized she couldn't scoot closer since Tucker was pinning her legs down. So she did the next best thing and grabbed the blanket in her fist, pulling him over. "Come here – you're freezing."

"I'm fine," he grumbled but sat closer anyways.

Once he was close enough, Molly spread out her own blanket from her shoulders and enveloped them both in it, leaning her head against his arm. "I'm never going to see her anymore. She's going to be someone's wife. Somebody else's mom."

_Oh, good._ Chase was half-panicked that Molly wanted to suddenly get engaged, too. He let it slide, digging around in his pocket and finding the box there. "Kathy will always make time for you. You two are obsessed with each other – it'll work out."

Molly pursed her lips in annoyance but was comforted by the thought. She couldn't remember a day where she didn't see Kathy in it. Even on sick days or rainy, boring Sundays. Chase and Kathy always encompassed some circle of her life. And Luna and Candace were always right there to wheedle their way in, too, at any given opportunity. Molly made the sudden realization, her eyes widening. "The band."

"What about it?" Chase asked. Her smelly hair was right under his nose, getting him high off of product fumes.

"She can't be married and be in a band!" Molly quickly sat up, not only relieving him for fresh air but also opening their warm blanket fort to the harsh elements. She turned to Chase with a distressed expression. "She'll be stuck here forever! Keeping a house and changing diapers and cooking meatloaf!"

"Kathy is _not_ going to quit the band," Chase scolded her paranoia. He couldn't picture Kathy dropping everything and becoming a housewife for some _guy_. And yet… she was very dedicated to Owen. Chase shook his head, taking Molly's shoulders to steady her. "Well… forget about that. Can you just… be here for a minute?"

Molly guiltily nodded. All of her commotion had caused Tucker to sit up. The leash was wrapped around Molly's boot, so he wasn't going anywhere, but that didn't stop him from deciding to take a sniff around them. "You're right… I'm sorry. I'm not a very good girlfriend."

"Maybe you just need practice," Chase teased.

The suggestion flying right over her head, Molly rested her chin in her palm, leaning away from him on her knee. "All I ever do is complain and fuss. What's going on with you lately? I want to hear you talk for once."

"Oh… well…" put on the spot, Chase was forced to casually shrug at her prying. "I work. Practice guitar."

"That must really be coming along now!" Molly perked up, brightly turning to him again. "You'll have to bring your guitar along with you on the trip to Echo. I know Kathy's bringing her old acoustic with her bass, so we could have some fun nights singing songs together!"

"Echo?" Chase's face contorted in confusion. "What makes you think I'm going to Echo Village with you guys?"

Molly blanched. She never considered he _wouldn't_. "But you have to!"

Chase huddled up, back to being chilly without her, but Molly's blanket was still around his one arm. "I don't see how I can help out. I'll just be tagging along for no good reason."

"But you're our manager," Molly insisted. "We got this gig in the first place with your help. If you never talked to Gill, we wouldn't have even made it to the Harvest Festival! The Animal Parade is just as much yours as it is mine."

"Molly…" he chided, shaking his head. "Why do I have to go to Echo?"

"I'm not going anywhere without you," she said simply. Molly caught on late that it was an embarrassing thing to say, and her face flushed as she held her mittens together to warm her hands. "W-well, I promised I'd be the one to follow you wherever your dreams took you. Why is it any different?"

Chase figured Hayden could manage the bar himself since it was the off season anyways, but… it was crazy! _Molly was crazy!_ Staring back with an equally crimson face, Chase's fingers clenched around the box in his pocket, and he brought it out into the open to avoid answering her. "You know… you freaked me out with the marriage talk. I'm telling you upfront that this isn't a ring!"

Molly's hands clapped over her mouth in a muffled thud from the mittens. She watched as he tried to awkwardly hand it to her. She slowly took the little silver box and removed the lid. "I can't believe you got me something! I didn't even think—!"

"It didn't cost a fortune, so don't get your panties in a bunch over it," he snapped defensively, feeling meek and vulnerable underneath the snide exterior. He buried his bare hands back into his pockets.

"It's beautiful…" Molly breathed, carefully taking the necklace off of the cotton. It was a simple, silver chain with a flower pendant. A kitschy kind of piece. The five flower petals all came to a point, almost like a star.

Chase was taken aback as Molly quickly stripped herself of her various blankets, coat, scarf, and mittens, scrambling to open the clasp. "You don't have to put it on right now! Jeez, give it – you're going to get yourself sick, and you won't be able to sing through your sniffles on Friday."

"Thanks~!" Molly grinned, turning her back to him after passing off the necklace. Chase struggled to open the clasp, too, fiddling with it in the cold as she waited. Since her hair was already in a bun atop her head, she didn't need to lift her hair. Once the cold metal was around her neck, Molly wriggled back into her coat as she scooted back around. "I love it! I have no plans of taking it off any time soon!"

"Just get your mittens back on…" he said, a soft smile on his face as he found her scarf and wove it around her neck for her.

"See, this is why you're such a great manager. How would I function without you?" Molly lightly teased, a hint of sincerity in her words as she admired the pendant below her chin.

"Yeah, you wouldn't," Chase smirked, wrapping the scarf tight and tugging it forward. She was pleasantly surprised and returned the kiss, feeling warm despite the winter air.

Tucker didn't give them much of a chance to enjoy their romantic moment and attacked them from behind, licking their faces and then trying to stand on Chase's back once they broke apart.

"Ugh! Your dog is a pervert!" Chase complained, rubbing the slobber from his face and pushing Tucker away as the great dog continued to happily paw at him.

Molly chuckled, wiping the dog spit from her own cheek as she ruefully remembered Kathy's prediction coming true. Licking bulldozer was right. "Yeah… I've got no one to blame but myself… Ach! Down, boy! Ahaha, Tucker! Tucker, _stop!"_


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Oh, where, oh, where has this writer gone?  
>Oh, where, oh, where can she be?<br>She stays up late and works two jobs,  
>Because games cost lots of money!<p>

Yeah, that's my only excuse for not updating these past couple of months. I'm sincerely sorry, but there hasn't been much I can do to remedy that. I had a day off though, and it made me so happy that I just had to sit down for a bit and reacquaint myself here.

Thank you for all of your support! Thank you so very much WindRush, KennieBarnes, CAPJHMPAgirl, Dusk Clark, and MikariStar for reviewing the latest update; I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this one!

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

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><p>The wood floor creaked as the farmer swung open the door to the bright room, already looking around at the shelves stocked with feed, tools, and product. Tucker came racing in after her, smelling the floor with his tail going around in wild circles of excitement. Molly idly grabbed a canister of high quality milk, juggling it around in her palm to check the price. She rose an eyebrow and carefully put it back.<p>

"I'll be there in a minute!" A voice from the back called at hearing the bell and the door slam.

"It's just me!" Molly hollered back, picking up two different kinds of animal brushes and squashing them together. She grinned at the rough, musical rhythm they created. Almost like a wash board. Hearing footsteps marching up front, she quickly replaced them in their proper spots and put her hands innocently behind her back.

A woman with a loose blonde bun came around the corner with a motherly smile. She wiped off her hands on her thick, industrial grade apron and approached the counter. "Oh, hey there, Molly. What can I get for you today?"

"Hey, Miss Hanna! I just came with a few questions. Specifically a favor?" She ventured, reaching the cash register and propping her elbows up on the counter to hold her chin in her palms.

Hanna pulled a wry smirk, suspicious of the girl's sneaky grin. She lightly patted Molly's forearm, making her stand up straight. "What about, hon? We're low on fodder this time of year, so I won't be giving handouts to lazy farmers."

Molly giggled at her teasing but quickly turned her head when she heard Tucker snuffling. His nose was leading him towards the back, so she jumped over and grabbed his collar, bringing him to her side. "Whoops, sorry! Tucker's such a goon."

"Oh, he's fine, dear," Hanna chided. When the Pyrenees looked up at the voice, Hanna leant over and gave him a pat on the head. "Such a strong boy he's become! How's Lil?"

"Hey, that's what the favor was for!" Molly said, ruffling Tucker's ear. "She's in good shape, but I'm not going to be able to take care of her for a little while. The girls and I were invited out to Echo Village—"

"Oh, that's right…! My daughter mentioned it at dinner the other night. Luna was excited to talk about it at the Star Festival, I understand. You girls played such a lovely song at the Harvest Festival, so it was a shame you didn't play again at the last," Hanna rambled, her warm presence radiating in her down to earth way.

"Thank you!" Molly chirped with a bashful scratch to the back of her neck. "We're really excited we're getting the chance to play in another village. It's so crazy!"

"But Lil…" Hanna nodded, remembering Molly's brown cow.

"Right! Would you guys mind putting her up for a few days or so? I don't know how long we'll be, but I don't want her to be a burden…" Molly fussed, digging the toe of her boot into the wood floor.

"Oh, nonsense! We've got plenty of room for her. What's one more to a three hundred steer herd?" Hanna chuckled.

"Ahaha, yeah…" Molly laughed uneasily. Horn Ranch was the biggest livestock caretaker on the peninsula, making Molly's farm look like a joke in comparison. Mind, Molly was the only farmer who dabbled with both animals and plants, but she couldn't compare to the output of impressive businesses like those found in Flute Fields. Marimba Farm had her smoked in the crop department, and Horn Ranch was over a hundred times the size of her own little plot. Molly made enough to survive on her own and make a little profit on the side, but these guys were in the big leagues working with animal dealers and shipping companies across the land.

Hanna took up some sacks of wild bird feed from the counter, hefting them up under her arms as she dodged the nearest display to move them to a shelf across the room. Over her shoulder, she continued to address the farmer. "Well, you'll have to take it up with Renee. I'm sure my husband won't mind, but Renee's the primary shepherdess, if you will."

"Really?! Thank you!" Molly clapped, startling her dog into perking his ears and looking around. She furiously dug in her pockets for her wallet. "I can pay for her stay and everything; I'm so glad I've got someone to watch her!"

"I don't think that will be necessary," Hanna tutted, gritting her teeth as she lifted a bag high onto the shelf above her head. As she was so short, it was quite the struggle. A hand appeared over her head to push the bird seed upright, and Hanna turned to find Molly there. "Why, thank you! Renee's out in the barn. Take up the details with her."

"Thanks so much, Miss Hanna! Come on, Tucker!" Molly was already running to the door with a wave. Tucker caught her jog and eagerly followed her pace outside, bounding down the steps and into the dewy grass of the sunny morning.

The sky was spotted with wispy clouds on the far horizon, but the day was clear and bright and blue as can be. The trees were bare of their leaves but for a few tawny ones clinging to the branches in the breeze. It hadn't snowed in a few days, so there were patches of the leftovers mixed with muddy brown grass across the landscape like the spots on a cow.

"Let's go see Renee, boy!" Molly goaded her dog thumping along at her side as she took the hill at a run. Tucker's tongue lolled as he happily followed her, but he was soon distracted by an interesting smell. He stopped short and put his nose to the dirt, forcing Molly to slow and call back to him. "Come on, let's go get Renee! Let's get Renee! You like Renee, remember?"

Tucker continued to ignore her, sniffing out circles. His usually pristine coat was blotched with mud from the season.

Molly clapped, growing more frustrated. "Tucker! Let's go, boy! We're almost there… Ugh, come _here!"_

Once she put enough emphasis on the last word, Tucker bolted to her like a rocket. She laughed as she dodged his paws when he tried to hop up and greet her.

"No! Tuck, your paws are all caked with – ah, no!"

Renee heard the commotion and came out of the open barn door balancing two heavy gallons of milk. She placed the full canisters down next to the steadily growing group of them just outside the door and rolled up the sleeves of her dress, smiling at Molly. "Hey, there! Having trouble?"

"Yes, he's a _beast!"_ Molly snatched Tucker's collar before the big dog could make a wild dash for Renee. "Ever have days they just don't want to listen no matter what?"

"All of the time," Renee giggled. She patted her thighs, holding her hands out to Tucker. "It's alright, Molly; I've got my apron on. That's what it's for! Here, boy!"

Molly released her dog, and Tucker bounded for Renee. He threw his paws up on her waist and licked at her face as the girl rubbed his head and held him back, laughing all the while. Her yellow farm dress was thoroughly coated. Molly watched her dog spread the love, shaking her head.

Once he had said his hello, Renee was released, and she rubbed off the new mud on her arms on her now heinously dirtied apron. She took her thumb across her cheek to get rid of some of the splatter there. "See? No harm done!"

"Here, let me," Molly offered, using her clean sleeve to get the dirt from Renee's face. She helped tuck the short brown locks of hair back behind her ears into the bob to keep them safe.

"Thanks!" Renee giggled. The girls watched as Tucker ran into the barn to give the same rough treatment to Renee's father Cain milking the cows inside. She turned back to Molly. "What's up, Molly? Long time, no see!"

"Right! It's been ages since I've had any time," Molly admitted sheepishly. "You know, what with the farm, and the band, and Tucker being a handful."

Renee attempted to brush off the streaks on her apron but soon gave up. "Yeah, I didn't know you could sing so well! I remember you used to sing at church with everyone when all of the families went together, but I never got to hear you on your own. We should've had a choir or something."

"Wow, yeah, it's been so long since we all went…" she guiltily tugged at the ends of her hair. She kept up the small talk, happy it was so easy to talk to someone so laid back and cheerful as Renee. No matter how long apart, Renee always made it feel just as natural as yesterday. "Were you at Owen's birthday party? I meant to ask you about that, since I didn't see you around."

"Back in summer?" Renee scrunched her brow. "Right… I popped in for a snack, I think, but I didn't hang around. I'm more into the quiet scene."

"Can't blame you," Molly smiled in understanding. Though she was chatty and couldn't stand a lingering silence quite like Renee or Candace, Molly recognized that uneasy pit in her stomach whenever she was around a big crowd. Parties weren't nearly as scary when they were more personal and talkative.

"What brings you around so early? Does it have something to do with your trip? I heard you were going to Echo Village. That's a good day trip – if you walk, it's about a seven hour hike," she elaborated with a curious finger to her chin.

Molly whistled. "Yeah, it'll be quite the hike. Since I'll be gone for however long, I wanted to ask you guys – rather, you personally – if you'd look after Lil while I was gone?"

Renee leaned against the wall of the barn as Molly pitched her favor to her, thinking it over. She rubbed her chin. "You know I'd love to, but I'm worried she'd get lost in all of the heifers we've got. Would you mind if I tagged her?"

"Oh, sure, that's just fine! I'm just so happy you'll take her for me," Molly clasped her hands in happiness. "It means the world!"

"Hey, no problem, Molly," Renee shrugged it off, crossing her arms. "But you've got that cart, right?"

Molly nodded, now full into the swing of business talk as she leaned against the barn next to Renee. The wall was warm from all of the livestock within, despite the winter air. There was constant mooing and grumbling and chewing coming through the door beside them. "Yeah, I'm kind of at a loss… I was thinking she'd be able to pull the cart at first, but there's quite a bit of stuff. She helped us make a couple trips back and forth for the Harvest Festival setup, but I don't think she could handle all of the instruments at once for such a long walk up the mountain."

"Good thinking. I'm glad you didn't try it," Renee agreed, knowing that kind of work would more than likely put Lil to an early grave. She snapped her fingers. "We've got plenty of mares. I'm sure we could give them to you at a discount if you'd like a team to pull you to Echo."

"You'd do that?! That'd be great! How much we talking?" Molly drummed her fingers on her elbow, calculating how much she currently had on her.

"I can give you two of the girls for 200G a day. How's that?" Renee bargained.

Molly was floored at the generous offer. She didn't want to take it up too quickly and look desperate, but her options were few, and she considered Renee a sweet friend. There was nothing to hide from her, even though Renee was definitely a shrewder businesswoman than she was. "Sounds good! What if I pay you a thousand upfront for the journey? Should keep us covered…"

"Cool, yeah! We can go in and settle it with Mama," Renee lifted herself and straightened her skirts with a pat. They lazily meandered back to the store, leaving Tucker to have his fun in the barns while they negotiated. Renee lightly chuckled, staring out at the expansive fields behind the barn and coop. "Yeah… It's not like you can take a cow with you on the road. Believe me – I've grown up without any vacations. It's just not possible, you know? But I don't mind. At least when Kathy used to come around, I got to take more fishing breaks, and that's enough for me!"

"Oh, yeah…" Molly mumbled as she plodded along beside her with her hands in her coat pockets. _Kathy wasn't coming to Horn Ranch anymore?_ It was a little bizarre to hear, but she couldn't quite blame her. Kathy was a busy girl these days. She didn't have the time to spend with the horses, just chatting with Renee and practicing her riding. Was it Molly's fault? The band was sucking up the girl's free time… or was it Owen?

"She's doing okay?" Renee happily asked, her skirts swishing at her brisk pace. "The horses have been fine, but I think they miss her."

"Kathy's great! From what I see… I admit, we haven't been hanging out as much as we used to since she started dating Owen," Molly answered with a light shrug. It was a poor act at seeming indifferent when she was clearly bothered. She was so used to seeing Kathy every single day. Heck, Molly still didn't know what happened at the Star Festival!

"Aw… That's always a rough transition," Renee nodded with understanding, slowing to a stop as they came to the porch. She used a softer tone as she looked down at Molly's boots. "When Anissa started dating Dr. Jin, it took a little while for her to find a routine again. But at first, I almost never saw her. It was weird."

Molly studied her with new interest. _That's right!_ Molly and Kathy were like two peas in a pod, but Renee and Anissa were probably the closest that best friends could get. They grew up just over the hill from one another and were always seen as a pair. Ever since they could walk, the girls were inseparable. Molly never considered what Renee was feeling when the doctor and the local farmers' daughter got together. It was so similar to her own situation. "So… what did you do?"

Renee was reading Molly like an open book. She shook her head. "You just have to be there for her. It's not like Anissa doesn't like me anymore or something silly like that. She's just got more on her plate. We don't see each other so much, but I still feel like a priority… I mean, it's just life! Besides… I've been able to hang out with Toby more lately, so…"

She giggled mischievously at that, lightly punching Renee's arm. "You're right! Thanks for that. I admit I've been jealous, but you make it sound so easy. I'll keep an eye out for her just as well as you do for your best friend!"

"You always say such embarrassing things…" Renee tutted in a fashion similar to her mother, scratching at her heated cheek. She suddenly squinted at Molly's collar and pointed out the object there. "Ooo… I like that necklace you have. Did you get Julius to make it for you?"

"Oh!" Molly gasped, taking it in her fist in an effort to hide it. She couldn't lie to Renee… but she'd hate to embarrass Chase. She bashfully bit her lip as she tried to come up with a vague truth. "It was… um, just a little gift. Nothing special. Thanks!"

Renee rolled her eyes and let the subject go, waving for Molly to follow after her. She opened the door and disappeared inside. Molly hopped up the steps and tucked the flower pendant into her coat, shivering from the touch of the cold metal. She really shouldn't have been wearing it so openly, no matter how much she liked it or the reason it was given to her. _How embarrassing! _

But Molly didn't have time for such trivial worries. She still needed to hurry back for her farm chores before the big meeting at her house that night.

* * *

><p>Luna took in a deep breath of the clear winter air, letting it out with a happy sigh. "There's something about this time of year… it's so… not summer!"<p>

Candace rolled her eyes with a small smile of her own as she walked at her side. She had been focusing on her damp clogs going up the dirt path, but she looked up above them where her sister was staring. The late afternoon sky was dimming to hues of purple away from where the sun was becoming increasingly orange over the ocean. It always got dark early this time of year, but Candace didn't mind. She liked winter, too. It was good for snuggling up with some warm tea, like the kind in the smelly bag she was carrying.

The farm was coming up just around the cliff side, becoming increasingly dim from the shadow of the mountain. Molly's field of buckwheat had been stripped, and bundles of it were sitting in and around the shipping bin for pick up. Since she had harvested it all at once, there wasn't any room for all of it. She must have been hard at work all day making sure her farm was prepped to be left.

"Mm~!" Luna hummed, smelling the warm pan in her arms. She looked up at her taller sister with a grin. "These brownies smell amazing! I can't wait to eat half the pan."

"Luna, you'll make yourself sick…" Candace cautioned. She knew the threat was real.

"You fuss too much," her little sister stuck her nose in the air. "You could use half a pan of brownies. You're so careful about eating healthy that you never enjoy your food."

Candace wanted to retort, but she suddenly stopped. Luna looked in her direction before following her wide eyes up the path towards the mountain. Her face blanched. "Shit! Hide me!"

"Where?" Candace whispered, feeling quite like a deer before the hunter's crosshairs. They were out in the open, but they still hadn't been seen quite yet. It was inevitable though.

Luna whirled around left and right, her pigtails flying after her. Setting her jaw, she focused on Molly's front door. "We'll just have to pretend we didn't see him. Hurry up – we can still—!"

"Hey! Heeeey!" Luke waved both arms over his head to get the girls' attention. Candace pinched her eyes shut in fear for her sister. He started to jog down, still calling out at an obnoxious decibel. "Luna! Luuuuna! Heeeey!"

"Just go," Luna hissed through her teeth.

Though Candace wanted to stay and support her sister, she didn't need to be told twice. She quickly shuffled along, not giving Luke a second glance as she hurried to Molly's house and disappeared to safety inside.

Luna took in another deep breath through her nose, feeling that the air was sharper than before. Luke's thumping boots came to a halt before her, his big, goofy grin on as he looked down at her. "Hey, Luna! Glad I caught you!"

"What do you want, Luke?" She bitterly asked, looking over at Molly's overloaded shipping bin for a distraction. _So close – so close she had been to avoiding him! _She readjusted her hold on the tray in her hands, snuggling her chin into her scarf. "This is getting heavy, and they're going to get cold."

"Mm, smells like chocolate," he observed. He poked a finger at the tin foil, but Luna quickly spared a hand to slap it away. "Brownies?"

"Good guess," she snapped. Luna observed his poor choice of outfit. It was twenty degrees outside, and he was cavorting about in jeans and a light jacket. _Didn't he get cold? Probably not from his big, hot head… _She smirked at her private jab, but her frown quickly returned when her eyes met his face. "So what did you want?"

"Right!" Luke snapped his fingers. He finally broke eye contact and dug into his coat pocket. "Everyone's talking about how you're going out of town tomorrow, so I wanted to see ya off with a present."

"A present?" Her interest piqued, Luna peered at his hobo-gloved hand and wrinkled her nose at the twine he produced in his palm. "What on Earth is that?"

"I made it!" Luke announced, moving to her side and showing it to her. Luna scowled as their shoulder's touched. He pointed out the four, little white plastic beads knotted in the middle. "See? Says 'L-U-C-K' for luck! I was gonna put 'good luck' instead, but the pack of alphabet letters I bought from Barbara only had one 'o,' so—"

Luna watched in tight-lipped, abject horror as Luke pulled back her coat sleeve and carefully tied the monstrosity around her dainty wrist. She noticed his fingers were having trouble with the little string, probably due to the cold, and he fastened it too loose. The bracelet swung down, leaving his knot in her view.

"A bracelet?" She asked, balancing the brownie tray on one hand so she could pull up her other to examine the gift. Luna lifted up her arm, and the bracelet disappeared inside her coat sleeve.

"Yeah!" Luke nodded, awkwardly ruffling the knot of his bandana at the nape of his neck. Luna wondered if he ever took the unsightly thing off, but she figured his hair needed it to be tamed for gravity's sake somehow. He was grinning at her still, his face too close. "But you don't need it – you'll do great!"

The tray suddenly tipped and threatened to topple down to the snow. Before Luna could, Luke caught it for her. "Whoa! Careful!"

Snapping back into motion, Luna switched on her sour, defensive attitude as she snatched the brownie pan from him. "I-I don't need _you!"_

Luke turned as Luna stomped away from him towards Molly's porch, still unabashed despite her harsh words. He waved. "Hey, have fun! See ya when ya get back!"

She was in such a state that she didn't answer, her flaming face preventing her from saying any smart retort. When she got to the door, she promptly kicked it open. It flew inwards, startling those inside as it roughly impacted the wall. Luke could hear Molly's voice inside. "Luna! _Jeez!"_

He chuckled and shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets and starting the trek back up the hill towards home.

Molly and Candace stared bug-eyed as Luna plowed into the house and slammed the brownie tray down on the table. She quietly removed her gloves one finger at a time while the girls watched her.

Molly set down the cups she was holding and went to the door, poking her head about before slowly swinging it closed. "Sheesh… Candace said you were out there with Luke, but I didn't think that'd end up blasting my door in. Y'all right?"

"You didn't hurt him, did you…?" Candace peeped from her seat, clutching her glass ready to be filled with tea.

"He must've really wound you up this time," Molly frowned in concern, rubbing her shoulders from the cold.

Quite safe since her friends had immediately assumed her flush was a mad one, Luna removed her hat and carefully smoothed out her hair. "It's fine. Forget about it. I just want to go to Echo Village tomorrow and take a well-deserved vacation!"

Molly smirked, checking the kettle in the kitchen and peeking into the microwave at the last of the dishes warming up there. "It's not all vacation, you know! We've got a new song to debut!"

"I-I hope everyone likes it…" Candace mumbled, her finger tracing the rim of her cup. "It's a little different from our first song…"

"I like it better," Luna said testily, still a bit riled as she shrugged off her coat and hung it by the door. Her eyes widened when she saw the bracelet exposed on her wrist, but she decided to play it cool and pretend she didn't notice it. No one else would likely ask if she made it casual. Luna cleared her throat to bring her head back into the present. "It's tougher. I'd prefer it if we had some more upbeat songs on our list that weren't suffocating in cutesy cotton."

Molly pouted. "I thought you liked cutesy things…"

"Music is completely different," Luna said, fluffing her skirt as she took a seat next to her sister. She took the foil from the brownies and started opening up the other various Tupperware containers before them. She wrinkled her nose. "Is that, like, one spoonful of macaroni?"

"I don't know! It's just everything I had," Molly called over her shoulder with a whine. The water finally warm enough, she took the kettle and started filling cups for the tea the sisters brought. She carefully balanced the heavy pot, holding the handle with two hands while Candace helped hold the glasses steady. "I don't want anything left in my fridge before we leave tomorrow. I've got breakfast and lunch tomorrow covered, but nothing else! So start eating, girls – anything you like!"

"Leftover parties are so gross," Luna stated, taking a large heap of mashed potatoes despite her words. She loaded her plate with corn and a few brownies on the side just to be sure she got her fair share of the sweets.

"Thank you, Molly," Candace bowed her head slightly and then said a quick prayer in thanks for the meal. She tentatively prodded at the mashed potatoes and focused on the macaroni.

There was a knock at the door before Molly could sit, and she ran to answer it with a wide grin. She pulled her red, over-sized sweater down over her hips. "That's probably Kathy!"

"She's so tardy lately!" Luna said, taking in a mouthful. She pointed her empty spoon at the door. "Tell her she can't come in for her rudeness! We'll let her in when _we're_ good and ready for her."

Molly stuck out her tongue at her but laughed. Grabbing the doorknob, she yanked and was slightly taken aback since she had expected a blonde ponytail. Her smile was wider though. "Hey, you finally made it!"

"Well, I had to lug all of this stuff over," Chase grouched, passing her a pair of paper bags. He stepped into the room carting a picnic basket that he set down so he could loosen his scarf. "I brought the sandwiches and that potato salad you left this morning."

"Oh, thanks! I totally forgot about it," she admitted, carting the copious amounts of food to the fridge for storage. When she noticed the sisters awkwardly staring her down, she gave a flippant wave. "Chase is just helping clear out the fridge, you know. Help yourself, peachy!"

"Don't call me that…" he muttered, leaving his coat at the door and pulling down the cuffs on his button up. He eyed the sewing sisters and took the empty seat around the table next to Candace, deeming it safer. "Hey."

"Hello…" Candace greeted him with a shy yet bright smile. She passed him a plate and offered a plastic bowl. "W-would you like any of this quiche?"

"Sure…" Chase took it from her, critically eying the leftover as he took some for his plate. He called to Molly, trying to ignore Luna's eyes still glued to him. "This from the Inn?"

"Hm?" Molly hummed, closing the door to the fridge with her hip as she wandered over. When she saw what he was pointing at, she nodded. "Yup! But don't get all huffy – Yolanda made it. You're way too mean to her."

"Maya can't cook herself out of a Betty Crocker box," Chase defended his hesitance.

"So," Luna finally spoke, suspiciously looking between Molly and Chase. The duo were watching her with obvious fear. She took a bite of her brownie, slumping back in her chair. "We're _all_ going to Echo?"

"Is that okay?" Molly immediately panicked, a hand going to her necklace. "Chase is our manager – we wouldn't have been able to get our first gig without him! He helped me write the first song, and he knows how to play guitar, and he's kept things organized—"

"Molly," Luna cut her off, releasing a light giggle. "He's not on trial. I was just teasing. Chill."

Molly's shoulders fell, and she gulped in embarrassment. Candace sympathized with Molly as the farmer wrung her hands. Chase scoffed and tasted the quiche, playing it off nonchalant even though he stared fixedly at his plate and pulled at one of his bobby pins.

"This is going to be more fun than I thought. Pass the tea bags, please~" Luna happily snuggled in her seat, reaching out with both hands. Her sister handed her the box while Luna hummed and kicked her feet underneath the table.

The door blew open in a rush, carrying a tornado in with it. She stomped off her boots at the door and dropped her coat on the floor next to her bag. "Phew! Sorry I'm late!"

"You never say hello anymore," Luna said, not bothering to look up but twiddling the fingers on her hand in greeting.

"Hey, everyone!" Kathy chuckled, hopping on one foot as she tried to get her cowgirl boots off.

"Kathy~!" Molly clapped, hopping up and down. She made a dash for her and threw her arms around Kathy, thoroughly squashing her.

"Molly~!" Kathy sang back, laughing as she hugged her friend back with the same gusto. She finally got her second boot off and straightened out the vest she had on. She ruffled Molly's hair as they walked back to the table, and she took the last chair by Luna. "Where's Tuck? I didn't see him in his house, so I figured he was in here partyin' with ya."

"I left him in the barn for his last night with Lil," Molly said, eyeing the table and realizing she was out of spots. Kathy took note first and patted her lap, the brunette happily hopping onto it before Chase could make a similar offer – not that he would want to in front of her friends, of course.

"Can you pass me that ugly broccoli?" Luna nodded to Kathy.

Kathy stuck out her lip and took the broccoli, holding it close as she balanced her weighty friend. "Hey, don't talk to the broccoli that way! What if I want it?"

"You didn't even bring anything, you moocher!" Luna pursed her lips.

"Luna…" Candace piped up, taking her sister's skirt and tugging on it for her attention. She shook her head, whispering: "It's okay…"

Luna batted her off, pointedly glaring at Kathy. "It's true!"

"That's it. You don't deserve broccoli," Kathy turned up her nose, hugging the little container to herself.

"Why don't you guys just split it?" Molly chuckled, snitching a bite of the quiche from Chase's plate before he could ward her off with his fork.

"Not until she apologizes for hurting his feelings," Kathy sneered in faux concern for the vegetable.

"You're the loveliest, leftover broccoli I've ever seen," Molly cooed to the Tupperware in a baby voice.

"You're all idiots…" Chase muttered, wrapping an arm around his plate to keep Molly out of it.

"Oh, you guys think you're so funny… I don't even want it!" Luna threw her hands up. She jabbed the spoon at her sister. "Candace is just too quiet to ask for it herself!"

The girls all but threw the broccoli across the table in a frenzy. Candace sat upright in her chair, but her head was aimed at her lap, her fingers tightly bunching the fabric of her skirt in her fists. "I-it's f-fine!"

"Candace, had I but known!" Molly wailed, an arm across her forehead.

"Here, you take the rest! I can feed it to you, princess!" Kathy leaned across as far as she could, spearing a piece of broccoli on her fork and holding it aloft.

"Take Chase's quiche, too – he won't need it!" Molly volunteered, diving for it.

Chase put a palm to her face, stopping Molly in her tracks while he held his plate away from her grabbing hands. "Will you cut that out?! Get your own food!"

"This _is_ my food!" Molly replied behind his hand, muffled as it was.

Candace laughed, a light, lilting sound behind one of her hands. The blush on her cheeks was prominent, but she accepted a serving of the broccoli from Kathy. "Th-thank you, Kathy! I can feed myself…"

Now that things began to quiet down, and everyone was getting a fair share of the banquet, Luna decided it was time to make problems again. She popped the last bit of another brownie into her mouth, propping her elbows up on the table with a devious grin spreading across her lips. "So… since everyone who's going tomorrow is here, what are we doing about packing? I vote we make Chase carry all of our bags since he's just _such_ a gentleman."

"Like hell," he muttered, crossing his arms over his torso and sitting back in his seat.

"Wait, whoa, Chase – you're coming with us to Echo?" Kathy pushed Molly aside to see him. She gave out a yelp and caught herself before she could fall, grumbling in good humor about how rude Kathy was before she started clearing the empty dishes. Kathy was beaming. "That's great!"

"Yeah…? What's so great about it?" Chase asked, picking a stray piece of fuzz from his shirt front.

"Well, it'll be fun having you around. Or should I say it'll be more fun for Molly?" Kathy rose a hinting brow.

"Wuzzat?" Molly came back over from unloading the dishes in the sink, retrieving Chase's and her own.

"Right…" Luna peered hard at them, leaning forward. "What's going on with you two? Something's up."

Even Candace was watching them with curious interest. Now under the surveillance of all three of the girls, both Molly and Chase paled, their eyes not daring to dart to the other's gaze for affirmation. Molly was about to clear her throat and finally fess up now that they were surely caught, but Chase coughed and shook his head. "What's that supposed to mean? You rather we start fighting again?"

"Well, no, but I figured you've been acting awfully chummy lately," Luna defended with a blank, bordering confused, expression. She blinked between them.

"It's really nothing?" Kathy pressed.

As the pretense of teasing was out the window, Molly smiled and reached for her necklace to show them her little bit of proof for the truth. But Chase said something before she could again. He shrugged. "Of course it's nothing."

"Oh," Kathy simply said, backing off with a disappointed frown.

"Sorry, I guess, for nosing," Luna agreed with a little huff.

Kathy quickly perked up again, diving for Luna and Candace's attention. She held the new earrings on her lobes, turning her head this way and that for a better look. "Look what I got from Owen last night! Aren't they the prettiest things you ever saw?!"

"Ever seen, Kathy. _Seen_," Luna enunciated, holding her fingers together for emphasis.

"Oh, they're lovely…!" Candace huddled forward.

"See how they catch the light?" Kathy said with a dreamy sigh.

Molly quietly watched them absorbed in the golden hoops, feeling a little bewildered and left in the dark from her supposed boyfriend. She suddenly jumped when she felt a hand on her necklace. Molly turned and watched as Chase casually pulled her sweater out, hiding the pendant behind it without looking. It was a fast action, and none of the other girls seemed to notice.

She stiffly picked up the last of the plates, stacking them to carry over and add to the pile. Molly knew it was petty, but she was a little hurt. Or maybe a lotta hurt. The cards were on the table – why did Chase lie? Or was Molly blowing things out of proportion? He wasn't taking any of it seriously…? Or was he embarrassed of her?

The last idea cut her deep, and Molly silently began scrubbing the dishes. She was in a cycle of kicking herself for not being a good girlfriend, being obnoxious… even too self-absorbed to compliment Kathy's new earrings. There was a bitter taste in her mouth that she didn't recognize.

"Hey, but seriously," Luna's voice popped into her cloud of muddled thoughts, drawing her out of them in a startled snap. The pinkette was leaning with her back to the counter, her arms lazily folded. "What's the plan for getting to Echo?"

"I… Well, we have the cart out back. I thought we could take that, and I've rented a pair of horses from Renee. She's bringing them up tomorrow at seven," Molly reported, unable to immediately bring the pep back into her voice.

A stitch appeared between her brows. Luna tilted her head. "Rented? How much did she charge you for them?"

Molly paused, taking up a bowl and dunking it into the water to be hit with the sponge. "I paid her upfront, but if we come back early, she'll reimburse me. They were 100G apiece for a day, so… I gave her 1,000G."

"A thousand?!" Luna hissed. She glanced to the table and saw her sister chatting with Kathy, and Chase pitching in with his cynicism, no one overhearing her surprise. She slowly turned back to Molly. "You paid 1,000G for two horses?"

"Well…! We're getting paid, aren't we?" Molly griped, rinsing off the bowl and dropping it with the others.

"Five. We're getting paid 500G. What about hotels? Food? Emergencies?" Luna prattled on, outlining each point on her fingers.

"It's my money. You don't have to pay me anything. This was my idea, remember? I can handle it," she quipped. Molly sighed and suffered a sweet smile. "It's okay! It'll be fun! This is our first, real gig!"

"Molly, you're over-shooting the budget here! You'll go broke!" Luna persisted, hands going to her hips as she lectured. It was evident she was concerned, but her temper was getting the best of her. "You can't throw money around like that. It'll come back to bite you."

"Well, let's hope we don't have to worry about that!" Molly shrugged, her smile more confident. She gave Luna a pat on the arm. "I've got it covered this time around. I mean, it's not like I farm nothing here! The inn in Echo is 250G a day. It's not crazy numbers we're talking here. And we're only staying the night, right? We'll be back before you know it!"

"Still…" Luna bit her lip, looking away from her.

"Try to have some fun with it," Molly insisted, throwing an arm around her and giving her a squeeze. "It's not every day we get to hit the road!"

Luna blew at her bangs but finally lessened her frown. Her arms drooped. "Okay… but if you keep this up, you'll be gettin' an earful! In the future – I number crunch!"

"Okay, okay!" Molly relented with a laugh.

All heads turned as Molly's phone trilled on the stand. Molly quickly excused herself and wove around Luna, dashing to the table by the bookshelf and taking up the receiver. "Hello, there!"

"_Hey, Molly,"_ an unfamiliar voice spoke over the line. Molly didn't recognize him through the phone. _"Um, Kathy still there?"_

"Kathy?" Molly's nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Oh! Is that Owen?" Kathy asked, jumping up from the table. She walked over to meet her, holding out her hand for the phone. "I told him I'd be over tonight…"

"No problem. Here she is!" Molly addressed the phone, brightly passing it off. Kathy took it from her, and Molly swallowed hard as she passed her by back to the table. She lightly coughed, trying not to listen in as Kathy sat on the floor and held the receiver close. "So, uh… I just told Luna – the horses are all ready, so we've got a ride tomorrow. Since the instruments are down at the bar, we'll need to get up bright and early to heft 'em up here!"

"Then I better get to sleep so I can function," Chase said, already rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, boo – you're already on vacation since Hayden closed the bar down for this!" Luna rolled her eyes. "You're going to be off for the next few days, so you could use a little work out."

"Is your grandma closing the Tailor's, too?" Molly asked.

Candace shook her head, but Luna answered. "Nah, there's not enough business for that. She'll be fine on her own for a bit. It's not like we get crowds at a time, but… orders will probably start stacking up while we're gone."

"Then maybe we'd all best get some good rest?" Candace suggested as she carried the empty kettle Molly forgot to the sink.

Kathy was still nattering away on the phone, so Molly shrugged. Her hope bubbled at the prospect that she'd finally get a chance to talk to Kathy again, so she agreed with the majority. "Alright! Let's meet here at seven then!"

"Seven?" Luna whined before Chase could.

"Yeah, you heard me! Seven sharp, or I'll come find you and rip ya out of bed!" Molly gave her a teasing poke to the nose.

Luna rolled her eyes and grouched a good bit, but she finally relented. They exchanged hugs, and Luna and Candace were out the door for home.

Molly awkwardly followed Chase to the door, a little unnerved. She was on edge like she was afraid to anger him, and Chase was skeptical of her sudden mood swing. Molly held up his coat, and he pulled his arms through and took up his scarf. "You sure you want me going on this thing?"

"Yeah…" Molly nodded, though her enthusiasm was slipping down the drain. "But… only if you really want to."

"Well," Chase gave Kathy a glance over her shoulder and found she was off in her own little world. He took the chain from around Molly's neck and gave it a tug, bringing the flower back into view. "You can't really function without supervision, so. I'll be there. Seven."

"Seven!" She nodded again with a brighter smile. Chase gave one last look to Kathy, shuffled his feet, and sent Molly a nod in return before heading out. Molly watched him go, her smile fading. He _was_ embarrassed of her. He could barely look her in the eye with other people around… though it really was no wonder. Molly was annoying and silly. Chase would do better with a more sarcastic girl like Luna who could really hold her own.

Molly closed the door, feeling like a shell. _Why was she letting herself think all of these terrible things? It was untrue – it had to be!_ She wasn't… just nothing.

Feeling tears pricking her eyes, Molly took a deep breath and rubbed them away. She meandered to the center of the room, putting on a more composed face as Kathy finished her call.

"Okay! See ya!" Kathy hung up the phone, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. She changed her mind and undid it, holding the tie between her teeth as she gathered her hair again. She turned to Molly. "Hey! I'd hate to skip out, but Owen wanted to spend the last night home together."

"Oh, yeah, that's totally fine," Molly quickly bobbed her head.

"Thanks so much. I know I've been skippin' out on ya lately, but we'll have nothing but the next few days, yeah?" Kathy double checked her ponytail and ran to Molly, taking her shoulders.

"Yeah, nothing…" Molly smiled.

Kathy gave her a tight hug and ran for the door. She pulled on her boots and grabbed her bag and coat in a fist, waving her other hand as she rushed. "Okay, night, girly! Love ya!"

"Night!" Molly called as the door slammed. The room seemed twice as big with everyone gone. She rubbed her head, looking over the dishes that still needed done. She let out a deep breath. "Love ya…"


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Aw, thanks, WindRush for the super quick review! It's been ages, so I kind of figured I'd be posting to quiet folks. Means a ton you're still here – as for anyone else who's still following along, too! Chapters are getting longer and longer at this point, so hang in there. Here's the next part, and hopefully, we get some more excitement soon! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

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><p>It was still dark when Molly pulled the barn door open, the rusty track screeching as she shoved it aside. Lil was already awake, staring at Molly with big, dark eyes and swishing her tail.<p>

"Morning, everybody!" She called, clapping the dust off on her pants.

Tucker heard her voice and got up from his spot in the corner, stretching his back legs and pushing his bed against the wall. He yawned and slowly wagged his tail as he meandered over to get a good morning scratch behind the ear.

"Still sleepy, huh?" Molly chuckled, rubbing the thick fur on his head. She gave him a pat on the back, so he could go out and do his business while she looked after Lil.

Lil said her morning moo and shuffled her hooves, nosing around in the hay trough again. Molly went to the dim back board, taking a rope from off the wall. She slung it around her arm and took up the usual brush and milker, going to the corner for the tin bucket.

"Let's make this quick today, okay? Renee's going to be here any minute to show you to your vacation home," Molly idly chattered away while she took the coarse brush over her cow's back. Lil paid no heed, munching away and blowing hot air out of her nostrils.

Molly was just through with the milking, taking the heavy bucket out from underneath her, when she heard a footfall that couldn't be Tucker by the door. Molly squinted through the shadows and caught a familiar silhouette outlined in the steadily rising sun outside. "Chase! Hey! You're here early."

"No, I'm not. It's seven," he retorted, stifling a yawn as he entered the musty barn.

"Oh, jeez, then I'm running late," Molly mumbled. She hefted up the bucket, passing it off to Chase. He took it in surprise at having it thrust at him, the contents sloshing as he struggled to hold it as high and as easily as she had. "Would you mind putting this in the bin for me? I've gotta run and dry my hair."

"Are you _trying_ to get sick?!" Chase put down the bucket with a bang and grabbed her by the arm. Molly stayed still as Chase tapped the wet bun screwed up at the top of her head, rolling his eyes. "God, it's like a mess of icicles. Get inside – I'll get Tucker and start loading the wagon."

"R-really?" Molly was taken aback by his offer. She wouldn't mind the help, sure, but from Chase? She had half-expected him to awkwardly shrug with his hands in his pockets and pretend she wasn't there. Like he did so well the night before. Molly perked up, smiling wide. "That'd be great, actually… Thanks!"

"Yeah, yeah, you idiot…" Chase muttered, taking the coil of rope from off her shoulder. He put a wooly, gloved hand on her head and kissed her brow. Molly was frozen where she stood, blinking off into the distance. Chase scowled at her blank reaction, taking his scarf off and throwing it over her face. "Get going already!"

"Th-thanks again!" She finally snapped into gear, holding the scarf over her head like a cloak. Molly left the barn, hesitantly looking back and watching as Chase greeted Lil and clumsily tied a sloppy knot to loop around her neck. A small smile spread across her lips as she hummed and half-skipped to the house, holding the scarf over her nose and mouth for the warmth.

Molly reemerged from her house ten minutes later. She examined the little flower on the necklace around her neck before tucking it into her coat and zipping it up. She took a deep breath of the wintry air, watching as the sigh that escaped her lips became a cloud in front of her nose. Spotting Renee coming up the hill, she waved high over her head and jumped from her porch. "Renee! Hey!"

Renee quietly waved a salute in return. Molly impatiently hopped from one foot to another as she came steadily up the hill with both horses. She rode a tall Arabian bareback and had a bright Appaloosa in tow. When she was finally near enough, Renee carefully dismounted and turned with a smile, tugging in the line on the grey horse. "Good morning, Molly! I hope I'm not late. There was some trouble with a few new chicks."

"Right on time!" Molly laughed, approaching the Arabian and holding her hand out to his nose. When his ears flicked curiously a few times, she backed off to be safe and gave him some space. "What lovely boys you have here."

"I know we were talking about mares, but the ones I was going to bring you had a bit of thrush, so we're keeping a close eye on them to make sure everything's okay," Renee explained, taking a firm hold of the rope in both of her leather gloves. She smiled and held it out to Molly. "Well, they're all yours for the week! These geldings go together like brothers, so they'll look out for each other. As long as they're not separated, they shouldn't fuss."

"Oh, wow, okay," Molly accepted the rope, wishing her work gloves were as tough as Renee's for the scratchy twine. She beckoned a head towards the barn. "Well, Lil's right up here. You want to lead her along with these guys? We're taking the road up the peninsula anyways."

"No, that's okay. I'd prefer to walk," Renee shook her head, following Molly past her empty plot. Their boots crunched in the frozen dew, stamping imprints into the grass. "Besides, I have to be back as soon as can be to help Papa."

"Hey, Molly!"

Molly paused at the door to her barn, whirling around to answer the call but found no one around. She gave a look to Renee and passed the rope for the horses back to her, running between the thin, weedy aisle between her barn and broken down coop. She curiously poked her head out behind her barn and found where Chase was with the cart.

"Mornin,' girly!" Kathy greeted her again with a wave, her knapsack slung over her shoulder.

"Kathy! When did you get here?" Molly ran to meet her. She only gave her a side hug when she saw Owen standing next to Chase holding Luna's bass drum in his brawny arms.

"Morning, Molly," Owen nodded with a friendly grin. That giant drum would have looked clumsy in anyone else's hold, but he made it look easy.

"Hey!" She chirped, suddenly shy to be around him.

"Little help…?" Chase grunted, a keyboard in his face as he started back peddling.

"Whoa, I got it," Owen stopped him. Molly gaped as Owen held the bass drum with one arm and took the keyboard from Chase with the other. He nodded to Kathy. "Just anywhere in the cart, babe?"

"Sure, anywhere's fine. Thanks!" Kathy agreed. She smirked, nudging Molly with her elbow as she put her bag on the edge of the cart. Molly quickly closed her hanging jaw. "We just got here with the first load, but we still need to get the amps and half the drum set. Everything squared away with the horses?"

Molly smacked herself in the head. "Eep! I forgot Renee! I've gotta make sure everything with Lil's okay. You have things handled here?"

"Oh, I'll come with you. They'll be fine. Right, boys?" Kathy called over her shoulder.

After receiving a nod of approval and a disgruntled growl from Chase, the girls took the long way around the side of the barn to find Renee. And for a reason Molly couldn't quite explain, it was the first time she had ever felt uncomfortable around her best friend. They were close. Like sisters. Why did Owen's presence make that change? Molly put it down to the fact that she knew very little about him, and he was now the most important person in Kathy's life. She had to leave it at that as she kept up her tedious smile and quietly rounded the corner and entered the dim barn.

"Sh, sh…" Renee was hushing Lil as she stroked the bridge of her nose. She had reaffixed the rope about her neck into a more suitable knot, and the pair of geldings were nosing the hay trough. Renee looked up when the girls entered with a bright grin. "Oh, Molly, you've taken such great care of her! She's so sweet."

"Aw, that's good to hear, especially from you," Molly shyly tugged at the scarf around her neck.

"What beauties!" Kathy had found her way to the horses, of course, and had properly greeted each in turn. Though they had seemed nervous to meet Molly earlier, they had seen something in Kathy that was different. She giggled as she nuzzled the Appaloosa's nose, and he nudged her in turn.

Molly cracked a genuine smile as she fondly watched her friend. _That was right… Kathy hadn't really changed._ And Molly needed to focus on being a better support for her. Kathy had never showed anything but love and excitement when it came to whatever the hell it was going on with Chase. Molly had to do the same in return.

"Good boys… such strong beauties!" Kathy repeated, patting the Arabian's shoulder as she rejoined the other girls. She put her hands on her hips and smirked at Renee. "Phew, it's been too long! I've gotta get back to your ranch, Renee. I'm having riding withdrawals!"

"Glad to hear it! You're always welcome, Kathy," Renee chortled, tugging on Lil's line. Molly remained quiet, still lost in her thoughts as she helped lead her cow out of the barn. Kathy led the horses by their reins in step with Renee. "It's fun having you around, and the horses get plenty of exercise. You know, we got a new foal who needs some line training."

"Aw, yay!" Kathy clapped with enthusiasm. "I'd love to meet him! Sign me up, girl; I'll be back after we blow the roof off Echo Village!"

Molly heaved the barn door closed, still foggy in the head. Until she received a smart wallop to the back of her head, and she whirled around with a frown. "Hey!"

"I _said_, where are we putting all our crap?" Luna huffed, a sour expression on her face underneath an adorable puff knit hat.

The frown quickly perked up, and her arms flew out for a hug. "Luna~!"

"Don't touch me; it's too early," Luna snapped. She had grumbled too late, and Molly had already given her a squeeze.

Molly noticed the little red wagon behind her loaded with amps and cords and Candace hugging a snare drum with a floral backpack over her shoulder. Her eyes bugged. "You guys! You didn't have to bring all of that stuff yourselves!"

"Well, it was just lying around, and no one seemed to be coming for it any time soon," Luna haughtily sniffed, her cheeks and tip of her nose tinged pink from the cold.

Molly rolled her eyes and hugged Candace around the snare. "Good morning, Candace~"

"Morning, Molly," Candace smiled, lugging up the snare on her knee.

"Oh, here – I can take that," Molly lifted it from her. It was light but awfully clunky and awkward to hold.

"Thank you…" Candace adjusted her earmuffs.

Molly turned to face Kathy with a fresh disposition and show her their friends had gotten here twenty minutes late, but both Kathy and Renee were nowhere to be seen. Molly led the way out back, Luna tugging along the rusty, toy wagon, and they found the whole group assembled at the cart. Tucker had placed himself amongst the various equipment, wagging his tail as he watched Owen put Molly's duffel bag on the wooden board and pushed it back.

"Hey, good mornin,' girls!" Kathy greeted the sisters.

"Eh," Luna muttered before letting out a massive yawn, stretching her arms out over her head.

"You said it," Chase agreed with her sentiment, scratching his sleeve with sleepy eyes.

"Is that the rest of it?" Owen asked, already lifting up one of the amps over his shoulder.

"Yup! That's it!" Kathy patted his back as he passed her by.

"You really didn't have to do so much," Molly piped up as she went to see Renee off. "Thank you."

"Nah, I'm glad I could help out," he stiffly grinned, straining as the weight shifted and he set the amp down in a secure spot.

Molly kicked at the grass, feeling giddy as their adventure was finally reaching the starting line. Renee held out her free hand, and Molly took it with a firm grip.

Renee nodded. "Don't worry about a thing. Have fun! And break a leg?"

Molly giggled, shaking her hand. "Right! I know Lil's in good hands. Thanks again, Renee."

"No worries! Okay, see you… Good luck, everyone!" Renee raised her voice as she looked over the rag tag group.

They shared similar fare wells, and Renee held up a final wave as she took her leave with Lil in tow. It wasn't long before Owen said he needed to get to work at the shop since they opened at eight. Molly was sure to see him off with a perky smile, even though it still felt awkward and phony. She was determined to make him a part of their usual group, and maybe even get Luke in once Luna admitted she didn't hate him as much as she enjoyed saying so. This was a new chapter.

Once Kathy slowly meandered back with her hands in her pockets after walking Owen to the edge of the property, everyone glanced nervously at each other and focused on Molly. She was the ringleader in this crazy, bandwagon circus, so it would be her say for what they were doing and when they were doing it.

Luna took it upon herself to clear the air by making one of her famous, snide remarks. She cast a dour look at Tucker still sitting pretty in the cart. "Hey, Molly, we knew about the one, but do you have to bring _both_ of your pets?"

"H-hey!" Chase's face flushed in angry embarrassment, his fists clenching at his sides.

Molly just chuckled and rolled her eyes, going up to Tucker and scratching his head. "Yeah, I just couldn't leave him behind. I promise he won't get in the way."

"Sure, but what about that one?" Luna teased, jabbing a thumb at Chase.

"Alright, alright," Kathy intervened, coming up behind Chase and throwing an arm around his shoulders in sympathy. She gave him a friendly shake as he stared at his shoes, waiting for his blush to fade away. She winked at Molly. "So is that everything? We ready to go?"

"I… I think so…" Molly shuffled her feet, going over the contents of the two-wheeled cart. It was really more like a glorified wheelbarrow rather than a thing for travel. She had the rigging ready, so the horses just needed to be hitched with Kathy's help. Everything else was there. She smiled. "Yeah! We're ready!"

"Woohoo!" Kathy yodeled with a happy whoop. Chase got a vigorous knocking about before she left him to join arms with Candace, spinning her about.

"Cut the dancing, Kathy – help me get these guys ready to roll," Molly laughed, waving her over.

"Come on, boys!" Kathy cheered, running to the horses and reining them in. Her demeanor calmed as she led the pair to the cart where Molly was holding up the cross bar. As the geldings were used to such jobs, it wasn't difficult backing them in and hooking them up. Once Kathy checked their harness for the last time and gave her a thumbs up, Molly kicked the wood block holding up the cart, passing off the weight to the horses.

"It's official! Let's go!" Molly called, pointing the way.

Luna watched as the cart started its slow roll as it went by, noting Tucker had the right idea. She hopped up onto the edge, swinging her legs off of the back as it wobbled down the hill. She patted the empty spot at her side. "Sit here, Candace."

"Is that alright?" Candace asked, hurriedly shuffling along to match pace.

"Go ahead, Candace!" Molly shouted from up front, the creaking and clattering of the wheels causing quite the ruckus. "It'll hold you fine!"

Candace bit her lip, but she made up her mind. She made a jog and jumped for the seat next to her sister, swaying off balance until Luna righted her shoulder.

"There ya go! We have the best seats in the house," Luna smiled mischievously, her cute dress shoes kicking back and forth. She stared up at the mountain, the sun turning the world yellow as it grew steadily brighter. Luna sighed as the cold road disappeared underneath their feet. "See it all disappear…"

Candace studied her sister with a knit of concern in her brow. She noticed Luna wringing an unfamiliar bracelet around her wrist but thought nothing more of it. She stared back at the landscape with her sister, feeling nervous again. They had said their goodbyes to their grandmother, but it still didn't feel real. They had never been away before. They had spent sleepless sleepovers with the girls before, but they were always back to the Tailor Shop the next morning. The last time they had been away for an extended period of time was when they went out with their parents.

"This is… good," Candace decided in her quiet way. She reached out and took the hand Luna was fiddling with.

It was rare times like these when Candace shone through as the older sister. Luna smiled up at her in admiration, squeezing her hand back. She took a deep breath, now smiling as the crossroads that would lead them home stretched out away from them. "Yeah. Okay."

The cart wound its way around the rocky cliffs of the Castanet peninsula, bringing them to the familiar Flute Fields. Chase gave his house a despondent look, wondering how he was going to survive the next few days of endless mockery. He felt a nudge and looked to see an innocent Molly taking long strides beside him, an excited quirk at the corner of her mouth. He softened and looked down, kicking a rock that tumbled into the crunchy grass. He knew she'd look out for him. Maybe it could even be fun. Getting away…

Kathy watched the large windmill by Horn Ranch lazily turn, its vanes looming over their heads as they passed. The gate was already open for them, waiting with the big open road ahead. Kathy had been through here dozens of times, but she was always on a ride. Sometimes with Renee or even Owen in their younger days, but mostly by herself. It was bizarre walking it. And today, she'd be going farther than she had ever been before. Her heart swelled with excitement and heavy nostalgia.

As the morning got older, the travelers remained quiet. Everyone was lost in their own reminisces and worries and anticipation for the unknown. None of them had imagined they would be going on such a journey – leaving home with a cart of cotton candy colored instruments to play in another town. It was surreal.

Kathy let out the breath she was holding, gripping the lead on the Arabian tight in her fist as she took the last step. It was official. She was now past the furthest point she had ever gone. It was the edge of an expansive forest, where the trail was often too dark and pocketed with holes to safely ride through at the Mach speed she was always pushing. She had never adventured through it until today.

It somehow relaxed her, now that she had breached her mental map. She watched as Molly walked ahead. They were almost in a pyramid formation with the cart, Kathy and Chase leading the horses at each side, and Molly taking the helm. She chuckled at that. "Hey, Molly! You sure you know where you're going?"

"Hm?" Molly hummed her usual response. She turned and casually walked backwards. "I suppose so."

"You suppose?!" Luna screeched from the back. Her shout caused Tucker to get excited, and he began licking her face as she sputtered angrily and dodged him.

"Well, Hamilton told me it was a straight shot, and there are plenty of signs," Molly shrugged. Her foot caught a rock, and she stumbled. Both Kathy and Chase instinctively jumped to help her, but she righted herself with a bashful laugh. "Ahaha, that was dumb. But yeah! Echo Village shouldn't be hard to find – it's the only settlement between Castanet and Mineral Town on the opposite coast."

"Sheesh, we really do live in the boonies, don't we?" Kathy joked.

"You did bring a map though, didn't you?" Chase asked.

Molly was taken aback, realizing it was the first thing he said in hours. She paled, turning back around to walk like a normal person. She began whistling.

"We're already lost," he concluded, rubbing a glove over his cold face.

"We'll be fine," Kathy chided, shaking her head.

It wasn't so ghastly cold by the time it was noon, but Chase was complaining about his feet hurting, and Luna was whining about being hungry, so they took a break. They stopped next to the first, promised sign pointing to Echo Village. It was an old board with a chipped away arrow pointing towards 'EV 15 Miles.'

"At this rate, we should be in Echo in a few hours," Molly chirped, passing out the sandwiches. They all gathered on the cart for a seat, letting the horses loose first.

Kathy sat between her guitar case and the bass drum. She took a bite of her sandwich and looked around before she swallowed. "Well, we have an excess of guitars since I brought both of mine, and Chase has his. Anyone have any requests?"

Molly started to bounce on her heels, struggling to finish her sandwich to join her. Kathy clapped her hands of crumbs and wriggled her acoustic free, taking her gloves off and testing the tuning.

"It's too cold," Luna shivered, huddling close between her sister and Chase despite his scowl.

"Maybe it will warm you up?" Candace suggested, burying her own mitten-ed hands underneath her arms.

Molly finally finished chewing and pumped her fist. "Yeah! Let's get practicing. Gotta get ready for our big concert tonight!"

"You're playing two songs. Don't shoot yourself in the foot now so you can't play later," Chase warned, not entirely opposed to leeching some heat as Molly crawled and sat down next to him.

"Oh, don't be so grouchy. We'll be fine!" Molly said, waving off his worries as she gathered her hair for a ponytail.

Kathy was apparently hot blooded, as she didn't seem to feel the cold like the rest of them. She hummed as she strummed a soulful chord. Her eyes fixed on Molly. "Well? What do you want to sing?"

"Let's just improvise. I've had this verse stuck in my head for 'Just You' that I think we can add. Spice it up!" Molly requested, realizing too late that she didn't have a tie. She let her hair go, and it hit Chase in the face. He blew it out of the way with a huff.

"Sounds good to me! Let's try it out," Kathy positioned her fingers and started softly strumming.

The quiet forest seemed to echo the music, off of the trees and through the leaves overhead. Molly sat up straight, singing along with the melody they knew all too well. Chase watched the clouds of breath surrounding the horses - and even Tucker - as they seemed to stop and listen, too.

Luna began tapping her thighs, perhaps out of habit, for the rhythm. Candace smiled as the song became more alive, and she hummed the melody backing Molly.

Chase watched this exchange in slight awe. It was like these girls could make a moment out of anything. He had to admit – they were fun to watch.

Molly reached the part where she was adding something new, right before the last chorus. Unsure of what to do, Luna kept up a steady beat, and Kathy matched her with a single chord on hushed repeat. Candace just echoed in a light soprano, singing gibberish as Molly made up new words.

"_Baby, you're not perfect  
>But sinners we can be<br>Saints are forever  
>But we'll be free<em>

_For awhile…  
>Darling, I live off your smile<br>So just be  
>Together you will see<br>We can conquer anything…"_

She paused, and so did everyone else except for Luna. Molly beamed in excitement, nodding as she finished with the famous: _"Do-do-do!"_

The last chorus played as usual, the girls giving it more energy as it came to an end. Molly sang the last 'do,' and Kathy let the chord ring out, clapping the strings to stop it after a few, lingering seconds.

"Keep it," Chase broke the stillness with the statement. He nodded. "It was good."

"You flatterer, you," Luna pinched his cheek. He quickly blanched and swatted at her as the other girls laughed at the poor boy's expense.

They didn't press the matter further, but everyone was smiling as they hit the trail again. The path steadily began to incline as the hills brought them closer to the mountains, and the trees grew older, thicker, and taller. The clouds overhead gathered and broke as snowflakes began to fall when they found the last trail marker.

"Echo Village! It's just up ahead! We _made_ it!" Molly gasped, latching onto Chase. She was perhaps a bit too thrilled at finding their way on her own. She spun the chef in dizzying circles before running ahead up the steep path.

"Wait up!" Kathy called, but Molly was sprinting ahead and laughing like a loon.

"Forget it. She's gone," Chase told her, unable to hide his amused smile.

Kathy did a double take as she watched him watching her best friend, and she squinted suspiciously. There was definitely something going on, and she was going to get to the bottom of it sooner or later.

The snow hadn't melted away here like it had back home. Her boots crunched through the wet, packing snow that was getting a fresh, powdery coat. Snowflakes stuck to her hair as she tilted her head at the person ahead of her on the path. Molly hesitated before hurrying to meet the silhouette with a floppy, cowboy hat. It was an old man wearing a full trench coat, and he had a scraggly grey beard catching snowflakes. "Hello, there!"

"Hey-o!" He greeted her with a jovial wave. She cleared the distance more at ease and matched his friendly smile. He held out his hand, and she took it. "You Molly & The Animal Parade?"

"We're the band!" She nodded.

"Name's Dunhill. Hamilton must've told ya'll about me – he likes to talk a lot," Dunhill introduced himself with a laugh.

"Nice to meet you, sir!" Molly giggled, shaking the snow from her hair as she spun on her heel. They watched as the cart caught up to them, and she introduced the lot. "This is everyone! Here's Kathy, Chase, and Luna and Candace in back with my best buddy Tucker. Oh, and I'm Molly!"

"Howdy-do, everybody," Dunhill tipped his hat in greeting.

Tucker suddenly barked and leapt from the cart with a shake. Molly yelped to stop him, but he ran straight past her and met Dunhill with a goofy grin and his massive paws up and swatting for a hug. Molly snagged his collar and scolded him, profusely apologizing.

Dunhill waved her off, letting Tucker smell his hand before ruffling up his ears. "What a big boy you are! Haha, full of spirit, too! Don't you worry, little lady – the innkeeper's a good friend, and Tucker will be plenty welcome in your room. Haven't got a soul out here who doesn't love animals – and never met no one who loves 'em as much as our Neil and Rio! Come on, come on; don't let me talk yer ears off. I'll show ya'll to your rooms before we get you set up for the night. You're just in time."

"Thanks so much, Dunhill!" Molly said. She sidled up alongside Chase as they followed the mayor to town. She wound her hands behind her back. "See? We didn't get lost, _and_ we're on time. How about that?"

"Must be a miracle," Chase muttered. He gave Kathy a sideways glance and found her eyes on them again, so he roughly shoved Molly in the head like a little kid might.

"Ow!" Molly complained. She stuck her tongue out at him in equal immaturity, but she felt the lump rising in her throat. She had promised herself she'd try not to embarrass him, but she was already such a failure. How much else could she change until Chase would be okay to be seen with her?

Echo Village was a quiet town, about the same size as their own Harmonica Town was, but it was all gathered together. Even though they had streets and lamp posts and rows of houses here, what they could see was all there was. There was an impressive plaza up the hill away from all of the shops, but otherwise, it was all tangled forest paths and rivers. The little bridge was barely big enough for the cart to get over, and the horses were spooked by the tight quarters.

There wasn't much chance for them to explore, but Molly noticed an impressive farm apart from the rest of the village. The inn was the first, big building, and they were ushered through the door while Dunhill talked to a surly-looking blond guy about caring for their horses. Tucker was quick to follow along after the cart, galloping in the new area like he was a puppy.

They stomped off their shoes and took off their various hats, scarves, and gloves as they sighed in the warm air of the inn. There was a fireplace going in a common area, bringing in a cozy heat. Molly found Chase was at her side when she went up to the front desk where a little boy two heads shorter than her was standing. She cleared her throat. "Um… hi! We have a couple rooms booked for the night?"

"Oh, wow! You're that band! Everyone's been so excited to get some live music tonight," he gaped up at her with round, rosy cheeks. He blushed under the combined, conflicting gazes of the sweet Molly and the poor-tempered Chase who had a glare to rival a few choice people he knew around town. The boy stuttered. "M-my name's Niko! I'll go get my dad!"

"Okay, thanks, Niko!" Molly thanked him.

He took one last wary look at Chase and ran to the back shouting all the way: "Dad! Hey, Daaaad!"

"This is so cool!" Molly whispered to Chase, looking around at the ceilings. He 'hmph'ed in response.

A rotund, happy-looking man emerged with Niko close behind him. He gave them a winning smile. "Hello, there! Sorry about the wait there. Are you the band for the festival?"

"Yes! That's us," Molly chirped politely.

"Great! What a nice change of pace it is to have you here tonight," the man reached out to the wall behind him, taking down a handful of little keys. Very old-fashioned, just like their own town. He handed them over while he wrote that they had arrived in his book. "We have you down for two rooms, numbers 202 and 203 on the second floor, two beds apiece. Niko will help you carry any of your bags up. There's a complimentary breakfast at seven every morning for your stay, and we charge at the end of your visit."

"O-okay," Molly took the keys, trying to remember the barrage of information.

He was still smiling brightly as he went on. "My name's Hossan. If you need anything, there will always be someone around the front desk for you. I hope you enjoy your stay in Echo!"

"Thanks," Chase nodded before Molly could. He ushered her away, and she was distracted by his hand at the small of her back. Chase stopped her by the stairs as the girls approached them. "So what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Molly parroted. _What – about the performance tonight?_

"The plan!" Chase said again, clearly exasperated.

Molly could only blink at him in confusion as Luna came up and took a pair of keys from her, inspecting them. "203? Mmkay, that'll be our room, Candace. Let's go unpack before we have to head back outside!"

"O-okay! Wait up, Luna!" Candace had to dash from the scene as Luna pounded up the stairs empty-handed. Candace carried her backpack, and little Niko proudly took up Luna's two bags, hefting them up the stairs with practiced ease despite his size.

Once the sisters had disappeared, Kathy's grin grew to rival the Cheshire Cat's as she plucked the second to last key from Molly's open palm. "Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm~ Guess this key is mine. Will Chase be staying in my bed or yours, Molly?"

The color drained from her face as she finally realized the issue. The catastrophe that had somehow slipped her mind when she invited Chase to come to Echo and spend the night in a two bed room in the first place. Her face enflamed, Molly fumbled for her duffel bag at her feet. "It's n-no big deal! We'll figure something out… like, I can stay with you, Kathy, and Chase can have his own bed…"

"Fine," Chase rolled his eyes. He passed the mostly empty picnic basket to Molly, and she took up his bag in her cluttered arms. "I'll go find out where your instruments wound up."

Molly watched him leave the inn in a huff. She winced when she was left alone with Kathy who was already halfway up the stairs. She slowly followed after her, kicking herself for being so near-sighted. Molly had planned everything, double-checked her packing, and she still forgot something so stupid! Now she'd be lucky if Chase even looked at her after this fiasco.

"Hey," Kathy's voice broke into her melancholic cloud. Molly took the last step and found her friend watching her with a frown. "Don't beat yourself up about it. It's not the end of the world that he's gotta share a room with us. It just took him off guard."

"Yeah, 'surprise,'" Molly mumbled. She moodily waited outside the door to 202, listening to Luna bang around as she hurriedly unpacked all of her stuff over in 203 with Candace.

Kathy unlocked the door and pushed it in, letting Molly go first. Molly entered the quaint hotel room, unceremoniously dumping her armful on one of the two, little beds. There was a small bathroom and one wide window but not much else. The room was dim from the snow coming down outside, so Kathy shut the door and switched on the lone lamp, claiming the bed Molly wasn't using for her bag and opened it, unfolding her rumpled clothes.

Molly quietly worked, filling up the top drawer of the dresser for her own things while Kathy stacked her own stuff beside hers. Once she was finished, Molly grumpily eyed Chase's bag, wondering if he'd flip his lid if she unpacked his stuff for him. She found she couldn't get in any worse hot water and unzipped the dark bag, pulling out his spare shirts and stuffing them into the bottom drawer.

Kathy watched Molly work, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. She smiled. "I like your necklace."

Coming to a fast stop, Molly grabbed for her neck and found the pendant hanging there. She had discarded her coat, so there it was out in the open underneath Chase's scarf she still had on. She bit her lip. "Thanks."

Kathy sighed, swinging her legs around to face her friend. She motioned for her to sit, but Molly remained standing. "Molly, what's really going on between you two? You don't look okay. Haven't for the past couple of days."

Molly was surprised Kathy had noticed, but at the same time she wasn't. She had made it clear to herself that despite how busy she was, Kathy was still the same girl. Of course Kathy would notice if something was up. Molly sunk into the bed opposite her, staring down at her shoes. "I… I don't know…"

She finally told Kathy everything. How she thought they were dating, but they definitely weren't if someone was watching. How she was confused and felt she was doing something wrong with his sudden mood swings. And that she couldn't tell anyone since Chase was adamant about not doing so. Molly hiccupped at long last, clutching the necklace in her fist as she confessed her fears. "I-I just d-don't want to embarrass him, b-but… that's all I'm good for…"

"Aw, honey…" Kathy comforted, leaning forward and patting her knee. She looked up at Molly's face from below. "Look, he's not handling it right, but… maybe Chase just doesn't know what to do. Sure, he needs to grow up, but at the same time, you've gotta remember Chase hasn't had anyone important in his life in a long time. He probably doesn't know how to act."

Her response was surprisingly logical and devoid of any teasing. Molly hadn't expected that. She looked up at her friend, her tears slowing to a stop. "Really? You think that's it?"

"You need to tell him how you feel. How it makes you sad when he pushes you around," Kathy reaffirmed, giving her leg a slap as she got to her feet. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. "But… I'm glad you two finally started going out. It's about time!"

Molly laughed at that, blushing and looking away. "Yeah, I know…"

"If it's any help, I'll pretend this conversation never happened. And when he finally _does_ have the balls to speak up, then I promise I won't tease. Not too much anyways," Kathy smirked.

"Oh, Kathy, thank you!" Molly leapt up and hugged her as tightly as she could. Once she released her, she rubbed her eyes and patted her cheeks to get them to a more natural pallor, so it wouldn't be so obvious she had been crying. She glanced at Kathy as the blonde poked through Chase's bag, scoffing at the size tag on his pants. "Kathy?"

"What's that, girly?" Kathy asked absent-mindedly as she folded his pants and put them in the bottom drawer.

Molly took up a handful of balled up socks to go back to helping out. "Did you… and Owen? Ever…?"

"Oh," Kathy cut her off with a start. She grinned, shaking her head. "Nah… He said he didn't want to. Not right before we left. Guess he had the same idea as you about doing it to 'prove something.'"

"Oh. Oh, wow," Molly admitted her genuine surprise. She never would have guessed Owen would be the kind of guy to be careful about those kinds of things. It was a pleasant surprise. She smiled as she cheekily nudged her friend. "Guess you just have to wait until you get back then, eh?"

"Cut that out!" Kathy laughed, playfully shoving her aside with her hip. She bit her lip as she admitted: "But I'm actually pretty pumped – he's going to stay up late, so I can call the shop number, and we can talk tonight after we play."

"Aw!" Molly cooed. "That's so sweet!"

Kathy could only flush in response, smiling like a giddy school girl.

"Hey! Let's not take all day – we've got to set up!" Chase's voice called from the hallway.

"We're coming, sheesh!" Luna shouted back. They heard their door slam, and they thumped down the stairs.

Kathy picked up a pair of black boxers, holding them up as Molly stared at her wide-eyed in panic. Kathy balled them up and tossed them into the drawer, closing it with a kick. She shrugged as she swiped up her coat around her shoulders. "And this is the part where we pretend we haven't any idea how his clothes got out."

Molly burst into laughter, grabbing her coat and following her out. It was good to have Kathy back.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Thanks for reviewing again, WindRush, KennieBarnes, and CAPJHMPAgirl! I'm kind of at a loss since it's been nearly two months since I last updated this story, but I have little excuse. Just going through a rough spot right now, but hopefully, I'll be able to regularly update to my heart's content soon.

I really appreciate your support, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! This chapter got crazy long unexpectedly, so I'm splitting it up. Hopefully, that means the next update should be fairly fast. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

* * *

><p>Luckily for the villagers of Echo, the light snow flurries cleared for their Starry Night Festival. The sky was open, only dotted with clouds here and there across the blue in the late afternoon. It being winter, the sun was already getting ready to settle down in the West.<p>

Unluckily for the girls, this meant it was balls to the walls cold. Molly's eyes enviously roved over the crowds of people gathering in front of their impressively professional-looking stage in Echo's plaza. Though she knew she should be more concerned with the mass amount of people – far more than the band was expecting to see at any rate – Molly couldn't help but glower at their scarves and woolen hats and mittens and begin to loath her idiotic idea of wearing these flimsy animal costumes. Her breath fogging up the mic was sure to make ice crystals.

"Hey? Hello? You in there, Molly? Any day now~!" Kathy was snapping her fingers rhythmically before Molly's nose, her bass slung around her shoulders behind her. Luna was dancing to the snaps in little twirls with imaginary castanets, and Candace was swaying along with the teasing at their oblivious headliner lost in her own little world.

"Wah, sorry!" Molly swatted Kathy's hands away now that she was back in the moment. She checked her friends up and down, rubbing at the back of her hair and mussing it up. She shook her head. "We've gotta change."

"Huzzah!" Luna cheered, reaching for the zipper at the nape of her neck. She happily began to wriggle out of her grey cat costume with gusto. "You heard her, girls – we're free! We don't have to look like furries!"

"Whoa, whoa, no," Kathy grabbed Luna's forearm before she could smear her makeup. She wagged a finger at her like a scolding mother. "I spent a year and a day putting those whiskers on your nose – I don't think so! You and Candace worked so hard sewing these costumes for us, too. I'm not going to let us get scared out of our britches – literally."

Luna stubbornly stuck out her tongue. She and her sister were the only ones wearing the silly whiskers since Kathy was a giraffe who wouldn't have whiskers, and the girls decided that having just one girl without would look strange. So the fox got cut. "Nonsense; these took no effort at all. We are professionals! Isn't that right, Candace?"

"I-I'm not sure…" Candace bashfully focused down on her boots. The girls didn't own matching shoes, so the closest they got were their winter boots. Each girl had a pair that looked remotely similar, so it was the best they had to work with. Candace's feet were tight since she had traded with her sister as her winter boots were grey, suiting Luna's costume, and Luna's were white for the vice versa. Candace held her bunny ears atop her head, fingering the fabric sewn over the plastic base.

Seeing it was fruitless arguing with Luna, Kathy turned to Molly and grabbed her by the shoulders. It was difficult to take her seriously dressed as a yellow giraffe, if she was disregarding her own fox tail. "Molly, you can't quit. You were so excited for these! And we go on in less than a half hour – there's no time to assemble something else now."

Molly looked between Kathy's green eyes for a flustered moment before she nodded decisively. She turned to the sisters. "Kathy's right. This is all we've got… We can't switch gears now."

"Oh, for Pete's sake! Make up your mind, will you?!" Luna grumbled, ramming her zipper back up as hard as she could. She crossed her arms, looking like a very surly kitten. Candace put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

"Molly?" A voice called from behind her.

Molly squeaked and spun around, already bowing her head in greeting. "Mr. Dunhill, sir! Hi!"

"Everything alright?" He chuckled at her strange reverence, scratching at the beard on his chin.

"Fine! Just fine!" Kathy waved from behind her, feeling the nerves start to bubble up, too. Her voice was higher-pitched than usual.

"Well, things are getting started ahead of schedule, so whenever you're ready to go, you go on ahead. Would you like me to announce ya?" Dunhill offered with a genial smile, placing his hands on his hips like he was ready to get the show on the road. He faintly smelled of cigar smoke, pushing his cowboy image.

Molly turned to her friends, biting her lip. Candace was wringing her hands, pulling and twisting her poor sleeves. Luna had a lock of hair between her fingers, trying to look casual despite her tapping foot. Kathy's hands wove behind her back, and she took a deep breath. She nodded to her. Molly smiled in return and nodded to Dunhill. "The equipment should be all ready to go, so we're ready when you are!"

"Alrighty, then – let's get this chuck wagon movin!'" Dunhill clapped Molly hard on the shoulder, knocking a cough out of her as he laughed. He righted his hat and strode around the side of the stage to the steps, taking them with confidence and approaching the microphone Molly was about to sing into. He cleared his throat and tapped the wire mesh guard, testing it for sound and getting some amplified thumps before he spread his arms wide and greeted the people. "Welcome to Echo Town's Starry Night Festival!"

Molly yanked her friends into a huddle and pulled them close, their heads nearly knocking together in order to be heard over Dunhill's little speech. "This is it! We feeling ready to go?"

"No!" Candace squeaked, shaking her head firmly in the negative.

"We'll be fine," Kathy grinned, feigning the confidence better than her peers. "We've got this well-rehearsed, and we like our new song just fine."

"We're starting with the new one, right?" Luna asked, her anxiety tumbling her stomach in knots. She wasn't bothering to hide the anticipation behind her pale face any longer.

Molly nodded enthusiastically. She was getting the same rush a person in line for a thrill ride might have. Just one person in line away from buckling in and being thrown into a whirlwind. "'Backstage Boyfriend,' yeah. And, man, am I glad you guys seem to like my cheesy lyrics."

The girls giggled, and Kathy ruffled Molly's hair. "You don't see us writing all this stuff. You've worked hard."

Molly looked between her friends with pride, and the butterflies settled. Behind her, Dunhill came to the close: "—so I'd like to give a warm, Echo Town welcome to these lovely ladies who have travelled quite a ways to get here today. Put your hands together for Molly & The Animal Parade!"

The crowd politely applauded, with a few stragglers excited to see a live performance giving a few whoops and hollers. Molly gave Candace's shoulders one last, good squeeze. "We've all worked hard! Now let's show 'em what we've got!"

The girls rounded the stage and hopped spritely up the steps. Candace allowed herself to be led along by the hand, as her eyes were pinched shut in fear. Luna set her up at the keyboard, and went to her drum set, not bothering to even look at the audience for fear her quivering organs would cause her to upchuck. Kathy wound her bass around her arms to the front and gave it a test feel on the fret once it was plugged in. She eyed Molly who had her arm up over her head, beaming at the villagers and waving with her best personality on show. The blonde took a peek and thought the crowd looked too hazy, so she looked back at her guitar's neck like she had something to do there. She saw her fingers were shaking. _Chill, girly… Phew! Molly sure makes it look easy._

Molly had passed by Dunhill and gotten another friendly smack to the shoulder. She stood at the microphone he left empty and waiting for her, casually adjusting the stand to be a bit lower. It had become awkwardly quiet as the applause had faded, and the girls stalled with their respective instruments. Molly couldn't help but notice some particularly attractive, young faces in the crowd and half-wondered if God hated her for putting another reason to get nervous before the main event. Her eyes easily found Chase in the sidelines, and he was nodding. It made her smile more genuine when she saw him.

The stares were definitely all on them now with their costumes being scrutinized. Taking a deep breath, Molly gave her friends a final look. She saw Candace first, and she was twitching slightly with her blue fingers hovering over the keys in wait. Luna looked similar, but she couldn't stop bouncing her leg behind the bass drum. Even Kathy appeared frozen, her eyes riveted on her bass guitar. Molly realized that she was the only one loosening up. And as the designated leader, it was her job to see this through for them. Give them a confident start.

Molly threw her hand up, counting down '1, 2, 3' and gripped the microphone as she began their first song.

"_I've got a backstage boyfriend starting the show  
>He revs up the guitars<br>And we're ready to go  
>We start 1, 2, 3…!"<em>

Molly paused before her final, intro line. She took the opportunity to catch her breath in the crisp air and bid her lingering fears goodbye. She sassily winked and held out her hand towards the crowd. _"My baby!"_

Her enthusiasm did the trick. Candace came in with the chords, Luna struck the snare, and Kathy ignited the first notes. Since the girls were so in tune with getting through the song, they couldn't see how the expressions of the villagers changed to those of surprise as the music blared. A few of the older residents took a step back from the speakers.

"_The spotlight's burning down  
>But my mind is way in the back<br>Where a denim devil…  
>Is waiting to relax"<em>

Molly closed her eyes and allowed herself to blend in with the lyrics, her only concern being hitting the right notes and carrying out the appropriate, sensual tone of the song. She kicked her boot's toe to the stage floor below her to help keep time and release some of the pent up energy that was begging for her to run circles.

"_I've got another verse and I think a chorus after that  
>Oh, God…<br>Have I lost… track?"_

She gave the onlookers a mischievous smile as they picked up the chorus. Candace kept up as the scales fled by, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she concentrated. Kathy's face wasn't so screwed up anymore, and Luna allowed herself to grin as she really got into the swing of the rhythm.

"_It's that backstage boyfriend starting the show  
>Cheering us on everywhere we go<br>His eyes on me,  
>I'm going crazy!<em>

_Back of my mind  
>Behind that curtain<br>Can't concentrate  
>These chords are broken<br>We go 1, 2, 3…!"_

A sigh, and: _"My baby!"_

It was wildly different from the folksy 'Just You.' 'Backstage Boyfriend,' despite the obvious origins for its unbearably cliché lyrics, was a borderline rock ballad – hitting that peppy pop sound with a grunge feel in the drums and heavy-handed guitar.

"_He's the kind of guy you can count on  
>To keep you in check"<em>

In the guitar break, Molly couldn't help but shyly grin at the next line – the lyrics she wrote after being at a loss and spotting her father's old car calendar hanging in the kitchen; still left off on August.

"_He's got my back, bags are packed  
>In his 1970…<br>Cadillac"_

It was rough, but it did the trick. Molly took the mic in both hands.

"_Shaggy hair, dark eyes  
>He's one hell of a man<br>Never seen no one like him  
>All across the land…!<em>

_He's my backstage boyfriend starting the show  
>Cheering us on everywhere we go<br>His eyes on me…  
>I'm going crazy!<em>

_Back of my mind  
>Behind that curtain<br>Without him  
>There's something missing<br>We count 1, 2, 3!  
>…My baby!"<em>

It was now twice more embarrassing than practicing at the bar. Just knowing this was the first time Chase was hearing the full song, and he was right there in the crowd of strangers was too much. Molly's face grew hot as they hit the bridge. She pinched her eyes shut and let her voice carry her away.

"_He's a living dream…  
>If you know what I mean!"<em>

Molly left the mic and clapped over her head, both Kathy and Candace doing the same and picking up the chant. Kathy was smiling wide as she watched the people smiling with her. _They liked it! They really liked it!_

Luna kept up a steady beat, and Molly finished spinning circles to get back to sing into the microphone before she missed her cue. The girls called out the numbers, leaving Molly to sing the other lines, but they were taken aback as over the half of the audience picked up the clapping with them.

"_1, 2, 3!  
>Baby, baby…<br>1, 2, 3!  
>Maybe, maybe?<br>1, 2, 3!  
>Hate me, hate me!<br>1, 2, 3…!"_

Molly let a laugh slip in her pumped up state, giving a good 'whoop' into the microphone as she gave the stage back to her friends. The girls pulled through the instrumental, with more energy than ever before. Kathy played with the arpeggio, and Luna fought to win the energy back from her. Candace played on in content, toggling the synth to give her chords a sharper, louder sound. Now that they were finally getting comfortable on stage, they were sad to see the song already coming to a close. The best they could do was have as much fun as they could and finish the song with all they had.

"_It's that backstage boyfriend starting the show  
>Cheering us on everywhere we go<br>His eyes on me  
>I'm going crazy!<em>

_Back of my mind  
>My perfect burden<br>Just can't wait  
>Release that curtain<br>We'll end 1, 2, 3…!"_

Molly swung the mic stand and caught it, reeling it back in as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. _"My baby!"_

All at once, the girls ended with a bang. They were all breathing hard, especially Molly, and they looked over the crowd of unfamiliar faces with unease. It took them almost a full minute to realize that the buzz in their ears was raucous cheering.

Molly slowly turned to Kathy first. Her heart was all but pounding straight out of her chest. Molly mouthed the phrase twice before it finally passed through her vocal chords into something audible. "We did it…!"

Kathy was laughing, nodding in disbelief. There were tears in her eyes – from happiness or relief, Molly didn't know. Molly ran to the keyboard and held up her hands, getting a double high five out of Candace. Though she was shaking like a leaf, it wasn't from the cold or anxiety. Candace was feeling over-whelming warmth, and she couldn't believe they were getting such a great response from the whistles and calls below them. She felt she was looking through a screen, unable to feel herself in the moment.

"You're such a ham up there – you looked ridiculous, and I LOVED IT!" Luna screamed bounding off of her stool and giving Molly a crushing hug. She hopped up and down with the brunette, the animal ears atop their heads threatening to bob off. "We did it! You really sang it!"

The audience seemed to find their antics humorous as the girls finally began to settle down and get back in their positions. Molly had nearly forgotten to congratulate Kathy in the confusion and knuckle bumped her in passing as she picked up the microphone again. The crowd cheered louder as the girls prepped for their next song, but they eventually drowned out as they saw Molly was trying to speak. "I… Um, hi!" After a short breather, the villagers went quiet, and Molly tried again. "Hello, Echo Town! Thank you so much for letting us play tonight – it's such a privilege. We've got one more song for you; it was our first. So… bear with us."

The crowd chuckled, and Molly gave an incredulous look to Kathy. The blonde waved at her to pay attention and continue, but Molly was having a hard time believing these agreeable people were giving her such rapt attention. "We're so happy to be here, we hope you have a lovely evening under the stars, and thanks so much again!"

Everyone clapped again, and Molly counted the girls in for 'Just You,' still shaking her head like she couldn't believe it all.

* * *

><p>With their performance finished, the villagers cheered the girls off the stage as they took the same scary steps that they had glued their eyes to going up, back down to the ground.<p>

Dunhill was waiting for them to descend, and he gave Molly another friendly pat on the back – this time gentler than before. His old-timer grin was shining like a 100-watt bulb as he nodded to each girl with pride. Molly made eye contact as he passed them by to reclaim the stage and begin the festivities. "Great work, girls!"

Molly was mystified as she watched him go and take up her microphone, waving his arms up to settle the people and tell them the Starry Night Festival was beginning. She was still laughing and chattering with the girls behind her, so she gasped aloud when she ran straight into someone. But instead of having to apologize for being a klutz, Molly found herself wrapped in a tight hug. "You did great."

Her eyes bugged as Chase's voice filtered in her ear, and she recognized the embrace of her favorite, gangly guy. She allowed herself to be held and wriggled her arms free from where he was clamping them at her sides to hug him back from behind. Molly's eyes closed as she rested her chin up on his shoulder, feeling like she could end any show like this. Back from the action and falling straight into something warm and safe and familiar.

She had almost forgotten where she was as Chase finally pulled away to give her a smile. His eyes were alight in a way she'd rarely, if ever, seen in him before. "I mean, I knew you guys were good, but I didn't think they'd freak out like that. You guys are _really_ good!"

"You're just used to hearing how great we are," Luna teased with a snarky remark as she took up her bag and brought out her makeup removal gear. It earned her a wallop to the back of the head from Kathy, upsetting her cat ears at long last and sending them to the snowy ground. She huffed indignantly as she retrieved them.

"Th-thanks…" Molly's insecurity cut between her and Chase like a knife as she quickly pulled away from him and looked down. Sure, he was being friendly for now, but that was probably because he was so happy for them. It was only a matter of time until the excitement died down, and she embarrassed him again.

Chase gave her a hurt look, scrambling to understand why she was being so distant and unlike her usual, clingy self. What did he do wrong? Wasn't she happy their song was received so well? Was she mad at him? Too big for him already?

"Drinks! I need drinks!" Kathy demanded, throwing her arms around Chase and Molly's shoulders. She had cut between in a desperate attempt at stifling the wired air around them the second she saw Molly retreating into her shell. It was a happy time, and dammit if Kathy was going to let these two blow it with their miscommunication! She gave Chase a good shake, partially venting her frustrations on him as she dragged him along. "Come on, let's get out of the cold! I'm freezin' my tits off out here in this monkey suit."

"Don't say that so loud!" Chase barked, already blushing with the way she was hanging on him and obviously separating him from Molly.

"Kathy, you're not a monkey; you're a _giraffe_," Luna corrected her as she re-spun her pigtails tight with a sniff. She punched Kathy in the shoulder for revenge, scrunching up the wet wipe she had used and tossing it back into her bag. "Get it right!"

"Such abuse!" Kathy wailed. She grabbed Candace's hand and towed her along as the girl with the pigtails struggled to keep up while rubbing the black nose and whiskers from her face. "Come on, Candy – I know you'd never hurt me!"

"Don't call her that!" Luna snapped, using Kathy's own tail to beat her.

Molly chuckled and shook her head, watching as her best friend stole the floor to give her some air. She tagged along behind, watching the last of the yellow hues fading on the horizon as the streetlights lit the way in the dusk. With the performance over, it was difficult to believe their little vacation was winding to a close already. They'd stay the night and head back to Castanet only hours from now…

"Hey, you sing really well!"

Molly almost didn't catch that the compliment was directed at her. She looked down and spotted a green hat, under which a boy with curly black hair and bright eyes was staring up at her.

She stopped short and instinctively looked up for a parent, finding his young mother with a fierce gaze but gentle smile watching her as well. She repeated her son's sentiments. "That was fun watching you girls – you've got chops!"

"Wow, thank you! Yeah, um, thanks for having us!" Completely at a loss, Molly was surprised she sounded so genial when she was screaming inside. The boy waved and walked off with his mother, and Molly could only absently wave in response as her feet carried her after her friends.

_A total stranger had gone out of their way to compliment her…_ _And it was a kid! Kids were known to be brutally honest, and he thought she was good!_

"Just wow!" Molly voiced her excitement out loud with a happy leap.

There was an extra spring in her step as she caught the door after Luna and entered the cozy inn. She had a blast up there just singing her heart out, but people had been having fun with her. It was such a strange concept to her – that she felt so indebted to these people for hearing her out and letting her do what she loved, but they had considered what the band gave as a gift. As if the audience somehow owed them a thanks. "It's so bizarre…"

"Are you going to keep mumbling to yourself, or are you going to get out of that fox costume?" Kathy poked her in the forehead, smirking down at her. Luna and Candace were already trudging up the stairs to go change into comfortable clothes for the rest of the evening.

Molly shook her head, still smiling like a goof. She twirled around. "Quick – unzip me! I forgot I wanted to go get Tucker!"

"In the middle of everyone?!" Even Kathy couldn't help but be aghast at the suggestion, looking around them. Sure, the inn wasn't exactly hopping, but there were enough strangers around, and it was still too public of a place to just… strip down.

"Jeez, I've got clothes on underneath!" Molly waved at her to hurry up.

"No wonder your face was so red out there – you must be burning up," Kathy tutted, freeing Molly from the costume as she asked. She watched as she stepped from the suit and jammed her feet back into her boots. Truth be told, she had on jeans and a white sweater. Molly balled up the costume and handed it over to Kathy's waiting hands. "Should I just put it in your bag?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Molly nodded, already running for the door.

"Uh, Molly?" Kathy called.

Molly halted with the door open, dodging a couple as they came in. She let them by and turned to Kathy, giving her a puzzled look. "What's it?"

"Gimme the ears, you goon," Kathy held out her hand.

"Eep!" Molly shrieked, taking off the forgotten headband and tossing it across the room at her. Kathy narrowly caught them as Molly ran out the door already calling for her dog.

"Tucker! Here, boy!" Molly dashed back to the plaza, clapping her hands and looking around. She had seen the fluffy dog next to Chase during the show, but he was nowhere to be seen now that the people had dissipated to find spots to watch the sky. Panic gripped her heart as she imagined someone walking off with him – he was a friendly dog despite his intimidating size; he'd go off with just about anyone if they led him along. Her voice cracked as she called for him again. "Tuuuuuucker!"

Molly's eyes settled on a ball of white against the dark trees, and she sighed in a mixture of relief and irritation that he had been ignoring her. She ran to meet him, but her feet slowed as her dog was occupied with a pair of locals. One was standing off to the side, and the other was on the ground with a tennis ball, trying to get it back from Tucker's slobbery mouth.

"Hey, there!" Molly greeted awkwardly. Finally hearing her voice, Tucker dropped the tennis ball like a hot coal and turned to his owner with a bound. He leapt up onto her pullover and aimlessly licked the air as Molly laughed and tousled his ears. "Jeez, Tucker – I haven't been gone that long!"

"Tucker? He's a really friendly dog," the young man with the tennis ball said with a winning smile. He pocketed the toy and brushed the dog hair from his pants. Tucker heard his name and went back to the ginger who had a pair of sporty goggles strapped to his head, and the man greeted him with enthusiasm. He spread out his hands and dodged side to side as he played with the Pyrenees. "Tucker, eh? Is that your name? Are you a big dog? Yeah? Yeah? You a tough guy?"

"Rod. Please." The plea came from the man behind him with his hands jammed in his trench coat pockets. He looked like a real, punk rocker with all of the straps and black and attitude, but Molly found she recognized him. She snapped her fingers, and he looked up.

"I remember you! Dunhill said you have an animal sanctuary, and you're housing our horses. Thanks a million! I don't think we were introduced; I'm Molly," she put a hand to her chest, prattling off at a hundred miles an hour. With the way he was glaring at her, she felt like she was intruding on his air enough as it was.

"Yeah, you're the singer! I'm Rod!" The ginger popped up from playing with Tucker and jutted his hand out. Molly took it with her own, and Rod shook her arm like he was trying to make an ICEE. A bit rattled, Molly lightly pulled away but smiled at his amiable nature. "I own a pet shop! Tucker's an excellent Pyrenees you've got. Well trained."

"When he's not sassing me," Molly giggled as Tucker sniffed at the blond guy's combat boots.

"Don't worry; Neil likes animals. He just always looks annoyed," Rod followed her gaze and explained with a sheepish grin.

"Hey!" Neil barked, making Molly jump in surprise. With the way his arms were folded tight to his chest, she couldn't help but see a lot of her friend Luna in his mannerisms.

"Neil?" Molly asked. "When we were coming into town… What did Dunhill say? That's right! He said no one likes animals as much as you. Except for maybe Rio."

At the mention of her name, Neil's face lit up faster than plugging in a Christmas tree. Molly didn't catch it, being a fairly dense girl, and she continued. "Isn't she the local farmer? I'm a farmer, too, where I'm from! But if she's the one who runs Echo Farm, then I'm no competition by a long shot. I hear from the big names on Castanet that she's one of the best ranchers in the region. She must really have a way with livestock."

Rod laughed and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, or maybe me! I know a lot about pets, and I study hard. Unlike this guy – he's just one of those natural know-it-alls. Rio's super impressive though for a rookie."

"I feel weird just talking about her like this when I can just meet her," Molly scratched at the nape of her neck and found her necklace chain and began fiddling with it. "Is she around?"

Rod was the one to answer again, as poor Neil was looking for a better place to hide with the way the conversation was going. "Yeah, it's just a big festival. Probably just wandered off again. She was here earlier though, so she heard you guys play! You're really something else! How long have you been in a band, Molly?"

"Ahaha, not long," she awkwardly laughed to soothe her nervousness at the topic change. Molly blinked as she realized the answer. "We started it back in early fall, so… about half a year already. Gee, time kind of flies, doesn't it?"

"Well, you guys are great for just starting out," Rod said, holding his hand out as Tucker came by to give it a whiff. He casually itched behind his ears, and Tucker leaned against him appreciatively. Molly was momentarily captivated by how sincere Rod's eyes were, taking his praise to heart. "I hope you come back to play again really soon!"

"Thanks so much… it really means a lot that you—ah!" Molly nearly sprung into the air as something ice cold touched her bare neck. She shivered, holding the spot as she whirled around. "Jeez, Chase – you scared me!"

Chase continued to hold out the can of iced tea to her until she finally took it from him. Her jacket was draped across his arm, and he held it up and slung it over her shoulders. "You forgot your coat. Moron."

Molly was startled that Chase was completely ignoring Rod and Neil, so she hurriedly introduced him. "Hey, guys, this is our band manager Chase! Chase, this is Rod; he's Tucker's new best friend. And Neil over there is keeping our horses and cart in his animal sanctuary – isn't that nice of him?"

Chase nodded, and Neil seemed to share an immediate understanding the other two weren't getting. Rod and Molly were still rambling on like it was tea time.

"Chase, huh? Are you all from Harmonica Town? We're locals, so we actually live pretty close to you guys!" Rod smiled as he continued to pat Tucker.

"From the peninsula, yeah," Chase answered vaguely with another nod. He grabbed Molly's iced tea back from her since she wasn't drinking it yet and opened it, holding it under her nose. "Here. Don't let your voice get hoarse."

"Oh, right; thanks," Molly accepted it and took a sip.

"Are you guys dating?" Rod piped up at exactly the wrong moment.

Molly practically inhaled the ice tea, feeling it burn at the back of her nose as she stopped herself from choking on it altogether. Neil stepped forward and put a hand on Rod's shoulder, steering him away. "Lay off. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, see ya around," Chase nodded to him in turn, keeping a shockingly straight face as Molly struggled to compose herself in the wake of Rod's nosiness.

"Nice to meet you guys!" Rod waved in his own innocent way as Neil led him away.

"Yeah, bye! Have fun at the festival!" Molly hurriedly bid her fare wells at their retreating backs. She juggled the can in her hand as she pushed her arms into her jacket.

Chase huffed as he watched Neil go. "Finally, someone normal…"

"Hey!" Molly complained in a hush, fearing they could still overhear. She was still a little baffled though. "Did you know him or something? I thought he hated me for sure, but the second you appear, it's like you start psychically talking without words."

"…You mean telepathy," he provided for her after a pause.

"Right! What's with that?" Molly asked, taking another sip of the cold, flavored tea.

Chase ignored her and patted his leg. Tucker came to him and tilted his head for a scratch. Chase bent down slightly and rubbed his floppy ear. He was wearing a frown. "Looks like you've already got a groupie."

Molly glowered at his tone, insulted for Rod though he wasn't there to hear it. "They were really nice people. You could've been a bit kinder to them."

Chase stood up straight, looking her right in the eyes. Molly blanched, but she held her ground. "That was a good question he had – are we dating?"

"I don't know, are we?" She countered with as much ice in her tone as he had in his.

He seemed surprised she wasn't backing down, and his shoulders immediately slumped. Chase sighed and took Tucker's leash from his pocket and hooked it to the clip on his collar, having come prepared as usual. He looked like he was about to say something, but when he made eye contact with Molly again, he was openly exasperated as he studied her face.

Molly's glare lessened to confusion as she watched Chase look around them at the few stragglers lingering around the stage before dragging a stressed hand through his hair and turning back to her. "I hate that I still love you so much when you're mad at _me_ for being angry that _you_'ve been flirting with other guys, and you've even got iced tea dribbling down your chin like a big baby, Jesus Christ – I need a walk."

Molly caught the most pertinent information first, grabbing her chin and quickly passing her sleeve along her face as a makeshift towel – or in this case, bib. She jogged to catch up with him, tossing the can of barely tasted iced tea into a public rubbish can as Chase tugged Tucker along and made his way across the quiet plaza. "H-hey, hold up!"

Chase didn't stop walking. There were a few villagers left meandering, so Molly didn't want to make a scene. She ran double time and caught Chase by the shoulder. "I said hey! What did you say? You can't just throw that at people and think that's all there is to it – and I was _not_ flirting!"

He stopped and made another cursory glance of the area, slightly comforted that no one was staring at them. Yet. In a hushed whisper, he pointed a finger at her nose. "Yes. You were flirting. I grew up with you – I know what that looks like. You think you're being friendly, but you were… fiddling."

"Fiddling?" Molly's bewilderment got the better of her temperament, taking the forefront. She scrunched up her eyebrows as she tried to play back what had just transpired in her mind's eye. Before Chase could turn away again, she grabbed the hand that was holding Tucker's leash. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?! Oh, come on…" Chase rolled his eyes, his face turning all sorts of shades of crimson as he shook his head. Molly wasn't meeting his gaze, and he feared the best he could do was give her an example. He reached around her jacket collar and found the silver necklace chain, taking it between his fingers and running it through a couple of times before letting it go. "See? Like that!"

"Wha… what?!" Molly was openly flabbergasted. She took up her necklace and repeated the same rough motion Chase had done with it. "What? That? What is that supposed to even mean?!"

"You… nitpick!" Chase threw up his hands. Tucker was watching them like ping pong, and by now, they were making an exhibition for everyone else. Chase noticed a few people looking, and he dropped his arms to his sides. He marched back down the hill, the inn just a few steps away. Which he considered base in their game of proverbial tag. "Your hair, jewelry, sleeves – whatever! You fiddle when you're flirting."

"A flirty fiddler," Molly reiterated his accusation in the dumbest way possible; just to tick him off, he surmised. Chase turned and found Molly crossing her arms with a very unamused expression in the shadows between the inn's yellow-lit windows. When he didn't retort, she blew through her lips and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, fine! Forget it! Because I'm surprised you even care what I do in the first place."

Chase stomped up to her, letting Tucker's leash go slack around his wrist. Before he could angrily cut her off, Molly bravely went on. "I can't tell if we're dating because I honestly don't think you want to!"

"Am I not forward enough?!" Chase quipped sarcastically.

"Whenever we're in front of other people, you push me away!" Molly finally hollered, tears beginning to sting her eyes. Her hands balled into fists with the effort it took to say it; she saw them and closed her eyes. She let her arms swing down to her sides. "You're embarrassed of me. You don't want to date me if anyone knows about it, and I can't live with that kind of shame. I was really proud to be with you, Chase. Things were finally coming together, and I realized how much I really like you and need you, but… I can't deal with you… hating… me…"

Molly finally forced herself to look at him, blinking rapidly to prevent the tears from falling. She was startled to see Chase looking so obviously torn apart. He closed the short distance and gently hugged her, holding her lowered head close to his heart. "I'm such an idiot…"

"Y-you?!" Molly couldn't help but be surprised his favorite insult for her was directed the opposite way. She loudly sniffled, still standing still as a statue.

"I… wasn't supposed to hurt you… not you…" Chase mumbled into her hair, hugging her tighter.

Molly found her arms circling around his waist and pulling him closer. She turned her head, so she could breathe easier and be heard. "But… I thought you hated being around me?"

Chase pulled them apart, making her fear her paranoia was confirmed until he nearly touched foreheads with her, holding the back of her neck like he was going to kiss her. Her heart leapt to her throat with how severe he looked. "Molly, I'm scared how much I _don't_ hate you."

She easily fell back into the hug as Chase leaned back to rest his cheek on her head. He held her for awhile, and Molly felt genuinely loved… for the first time in a long time. She idly watched as Tucker sniffed the ground around their shoes.

"People knowing so openly how I feel about something… it's weird…" Chase admitted. She could feel how hot his face was at the confession from where she stood underneath his chin, and Molly couldn't help but smile. She got a flush of her own as he went on. "But you should never be worried about how much I like you. That's not going to change. Even if I act like an idiot."

Molly giggled as she pulled enough away to be able to look at him. Just as she guessed, his face was red – regardless that the cold was already turning his nose into Rudolph's. From all of the hair mussing he had done, his bobby pins were askew and pinning back his hair in odd loops. She couldn't help but sigh with relief to have things out in the open. "So… you'll still act like an idiot?"

"All of the time," Chase nodded decisively. His eyes softened even though he frowned in embarrassment. "But… I won't be such an ass about it. I'd rather deal with people teasing me than make you think I don't like you…"

"And I'll try not to fiddle in front of other guys," Molly snorted.

"Try? That's all I get? You'll try?" Chase complained, sounding surprisingly concerned though how silly the demand was.

Molly was laughing too hard, and neither of them noticed an issue until she had fallen straight into Chase with a thump, nearly bumping heads. Chase grumbled about what the hell she was doing, but Molly couldn't regain her balance, and it took them a second to figure out why.

"Ow, ow, wrist!" Chase shouted, desperately trying to claw off the leash that was pulling them tighter and tighter together.

"Tucker! Quit it!" Molly scolded, trying to wave her dog back over to her. He had circled them a good many times during their conversation, winding the lead about them like a noose. Now that he had a new smell in his bulbous nose, he was off following it, leaving them in a tangled mess as he tested the limits of his leash.

"I'm allowed to be embarrassed about this, right?" Chase asked, his arm now at an awkward angle with the leash handle still stuck around his forearm.

"Yes, this is very embarrassing," Molly reported, surveying the situation as best as she could. Tucker had gotten them so close together that she could hardly shift without painfully twisting something. She attempted to shuffle them around to unwind the leash, hobbling her feet like a penguin. "Try spinning around – not that way – ow!"

"Sorry, but it's your dog that braided us together like this!" Chase grouched, trying to take control of the situation and spinning the opposite way.

"Don't _follow_ him – someone'll see us!" Molly nearly screamed in fear, pulling Chase the opposite way.

"Jeez, try to get the leash off my arm – I can't reach it with my free hand," he instructed.

Somewhere along the way, Molly began laughing uncontrollably. She carefully turned so that she could see his hand and pried the leash free with as little pain to her boyfriend as she could muster. "There! Sheesh! Of course this would happen – right when we were talking about going public. We just _had_ to make fools of ourselves first!"

"No one saw…" Chase rubbed his sore hand. Neither of them had parted yet despite their lingering proximity.

"And you should thank your lucky stars! We'd never live it down," Molly rolled her eyes with a happy smile. Even if she wasn't sandwiched against him, Molly hadn't felt as close to Chase as she was now. Like they finally understood each other, and that alone solved all of the problems in the world.

Molly was caught off guard as Chase took advantage of the shadows and her being right in front of him to give her a kiss. It was deep enough to take her breath away, and she found herself blinking stupidly through it. Chase smirked when he saw her reaction. "And no one saw that either."

The new, more confident Chase – who wasn't afraid of getting caught anymore - was making her brain go haywire. He leaned in and kissed her again and again, moving down to her neck and back to her lips. "Or this… or this… or this…"

"Ch-Chase?" Molly squeaked, not getting much reaction out of him. "Where's Tucker?"

They looked down and saw the leash completely gone. Turning about wildly, Chase spotted him first as he was merrily trotting off towards the path to the river. "Over there! Hey! Tucker!"

"Tucker!" Molly called with him as they finally left the hidden corner around the side of the inn and broke out into a sprint. Tucker perked his ears, showing he heard them, but he wasn't listening. Just waiting for them to come retrieve him. Sassing again.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**WARNING: **Double update! Kind of. It's after midnight here, but I wrote and posted these all at once. So go back if you haven't caught up yet. :D

Hey, I said it could be a quick update, yeah? This was a lot easier than expected, and that makes me very happy. I love writing without any obstacles, and I love to read that way, too, so I'll do my best to give you more to scroll through soon. After I've updated a couple other stories, I'll get back to this one ASAP. Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

* * *

><p>Luna happily drummed her fingers atop the two cards she had face down on the table. She was wearing her most smug, mischievous smile as she eyed those around her at the little table at the inn.<p>

"Hit me," a girl with gorgeous, lightly curled blonde hair held up her hand, eying her cards with bated breath. Candace passed the girl a new card, and she caught it on the table with a slap. She gave it a peek and immediately pouted and laid out her hand. "Oh, drat! I'm so bad at this game!"

"It's all about luck, honey; we're all bad at this game," Kathy smirked at her with a shrug, having already folded her hand before her. She took a sip of her beer and set the longneck bottle back on the table.

"Lady Luck has always been on my side," a roguishly handsome gentleman leaned his elbow on the table, holding his chin in his palm with a confident air. He tried to call his own bluff, taking a peek at the two cards he held close under his hand, making a wry face. "Then again, perhaps I'm too old for this…"

"You sure you don't want in on the next round, Candace?" Luna turned to peer at her sister seated slightly back from the table beside her.

Candace shyly shook her head. She held the deck with both hands safely on top of it. "I like dealing… if that's okay with everyone…"

"You're doing great!" Another blonde chirped. Her hair was stringier, straighter, and altogether much more unkempt as it rested under a cowboy hat. She puffed out her freckled cheeks and scratched her nose. "Hm… Okay, gimme a hit. Just one outta do it."

"Looks risky," the man faked a pass to peer at her hand.

"Will you bugger off, Soseki?" Rio growled at him, guarding her cards as Candace passed her another one. She slyly gave him a look. "Old fox trying to sneak my hand… hey! Yeah, that'll do it! Thanks, Candace – you should deal for Blackjack more often, darlin.' I stand."

"You seem awfully confident," Luna leered, rolling her shoulders like a lioness about to pounce. She looked back and forth between her last two rivals. "We ready?"

"Show whatcha got," Rio agreed, fanning out her cards. "A three, a six, and a king! Beat that!"

"Oh, shit," Luna cursed, getting an eye roll from her sister. She tossed her cards out on the table in a huff.

"A four and an eight?!" Felicity giggled, picking up her discarded hand.

"I thought they'd fold!" Luna laughed with her in embarrassment, finishing off her hot cocoa.

"Lovely hand you've played, Rio, my sweet," Soseki baby-talked her down to get the farmer riled up even more. He elegantly revealed his own hand. "But I'm afraid it's not quite good enough."

"Soseki, you… you cheater!" Rio sputtered indignantly as he laid out his Blackjack to the girls: the Ace of Spades and a queen.

"Played us like a fiddle… Wow, Soseki, I didn't see that coming. You're a pretty good bluff!" Felicity complimented as she gathered the cards to pass them on to Candace for the shuffle.

"Nonsense – he's got something in that kimono. Where are the extra cards?" Rio snatched his pink sleeve and looked up it, only finding arm.

"I _told_ you: Lady Luck is a very kind, patient mistress of mine… and she's just won me the last wine cooler!" Soseki chuckled as he snatched it from the center. He knocked the cap off, dangling it near Rio. She made to slap it out of his hand, but he quickly dodged her and took a sip, smacking his lips in satisfaction as he turned to the others in the group. "Playing again?"

"Damn straight! This is fun!" Luna bounced in her chair and clapped. She looked between the new faces around her at the table. "You guys here in Echo are way classier than those backwater villagers in Harmonica Town. All they have this late are drinking contests between Luke and Owen…"

Rio held up a hand to volunteer, leaning back in her chair with a grin. "Hey, I can knock 'em back. That's something I can beat you in – I can down a whiskey faster than you can pick the umbrella out your schmoozy cocktail."

Soseki swatted away her pointing finger, pursing his lips in annoyance. "Which can't be good for your esophagus. And on the contrary, I'm not a fan of sweet drinks. So there, you vixen."

"Home isn't so bad…" Candace piped up, nudging her sister's elbow. She shuffled the cards with a satisfying whoosh, folding them back together into one deck between her hands. She gave them a rap on the table to straighten them out. "I'm sure they'd play cards if you brought a deck."

"I would never play cards with Luke. I'm sure he doesn't even know what a playing card _is_," Luna grouched, adjusting her top. "Would probably try to trade them…"

"I'm really glad you girls came to visit though," Felicity spoke up from Candace's side. Her hands were neatly folded in her lap, and she stared down at them, turning out the hem of her light blue sweater. "Even if you had to hang out with the outcasts on date night."

"Hey, none of that, Felicity! There are plenty of people who don't have dates tonight. Think nothing of it," Rio said from across the table, folding her elbows up as she leaned forward. "Every festival doesn't have to be a big, romantic event. Personally, I'd rather do this kind of thing over goo-goo eyes any day…"

"You're just bitter since nobody asked you," Soseki scoffed. He received a nasty, threatening glare, and he held up his hands in defense. "Just be honest with yourself! It's not a bad thing to want to be asked to a date-oriented event… and honesty is an attractive trait in a person. Isn't that right, Felicity?"

With his gaze settled on her, Felicity flushed and pushed away her own beer. She held her hands to her warm face in embarrassment. "Gee, Soseki – you're too much!"

"Kathy?" Candace peered around her sister to settle on the unusually quiet girl. Kathy tore her eyes away from the clock and attempted an innocent smile for Candace. Before she passed out the next hand, she paused, getting the hint. "It's pretty late, isn't it? Did you call Owen yet?"

"I haven't," Kathy admitted, toying with the hoop earring on her lobe. She looked around sheepishly. "Would it be so bad if I ran out real quick? I'd hate to be 'that girl.'"

"Go ahead! Jeez! Don't keep him up so late – it's already past eleven!" Luna shooed her off.

Delighted, Kathy jumped to her feet and ran for the staircase. She gave everyone a spritely wave and rounded the banister. They could hear her feet thumping all of the way down the hall over their heads until she reached the room she was sharing with Molly and Chase.

"Her boyfriend back home's waiting up for her to call and talk about the performance," Luna filled the Echo citizens at the table in on the happenings. Candace sent a card her way, and Luna snagged it for a peek.

"That's so sweet!" Felicity cooed in excitement as she received two cards of her own. She blew at her bangs with a little sigh. "He sounds so dedicated and thoughtful…"

"And cheesy as hell," Rio chimed in, propping her boots up on the chair Kathy vacated. She studied the cards she received with a knit in her brow. "But for some people, that must be nice, I guess."

"Some people – if ever I've seen a pair of lonely hearts!" Soseki rolled his eyes at their passive aggressiveness on the subject. He slapped his hand face down on the table in front of him. "I stand."

"Again?! Jeez, Rio's right – you must be a cheater…" Luna grumbled as she twisted a hand in one of her frizzing pigtails.

The door to the inn opened, and in trumped a rowdy pair. Molly and Chase knocked off the snow from their boots on the welcome mat and peered around the dimly lit room, finding the only people in it at a lone table in the living area by the front desk. She instinctively pulled back on Tucker's leash once he caught sight of the people he didn't know – eager to greet them and become best friends like he did with everyone.

"Hey-o!" Molly greeted with a bright wave.

"Could you not? It's late – indoor voices!" Chase snapped at her as he tried to wrench his wet scarf from around his neck.

"Sorry…!" Molly whispered, tip-toing over to the group while reigning Tucker in close to her. He sniffed and tried to lean up on his hind legs, as Soseki was the closest, and he must have smelled like wine cooler. She smiled at the friends the sisters had made. "Hey, I'm Molly!"

"The vocalist – charmed! Soseki," he held out his hand, and she shook it firmly. He spread his arm out game show host style to present the other two young women. "Felicity and Rio – my sister wives."

"You ass!" Rio barked indignantly.

"Nice to meet you!" Molly giggled in good humor. She fumbled a bit for words as she addressed Rio. "Are you, um… sorry, but Rio? Like, from Echo Farm?"

"I hope Dunhill hasn't said anything about me like this joker over here," she jabbed a thumb at Soseki, but she tipped her hat with a friendly smile.

"No, no, nothing weird! I just have a little farm out on Castanet, and I've heard about you from Horn Ranch and Marimba Farm. You know Cain and Hanna best, right?" Molly had found herself moving around Soseki in order to get closer to the girl as Chase trailed awkwardly over from the door to join everyone.

"Oh, wow, yeah! I do lots of work shipping cattle with them to the mainland. Hi! Glad to meet you. You said Molly?" Rio held out her hand, and Molly struggled to shake it and also keep Tucker at a safe distance.

"Yeah!" Molly was happy to have something in common with her. Even though Rio seemed a little brash and older and oblivious to how important she was, her farm in Echo supported a mass network in the economic chain for ranchers in the area. Her cattle were known to even ship out to distant islands by way of animal dealers. Molly knew her parents got their start buying dairy cows shipped from Rio's parents, giving them a generational connection.

"I have a feeling the game's on pause," Luna muttered to her sister who gave her a happy shrug of the shoulders. Candace enjoyed listening to these sorts of light conversations. It was relaxing.

"Hello, there – I'm Soseki, as I'm sure you've heard," the greetings continued to go around as Soseki ran a hand through his medium length brown hair, giving his other hand out to Chase.

"Uh, yeah, Chase," he provided, putting on his friendliest smile. He came across as a little awkward, but it was better than the grumpiness he usually pulled.

"I'm a journalist," Soseki elaborated, seeing the opportunity. He sent a wink Felicity's way. "You know, just write this and that to pass the time. Trying to get this one to fall for me."

"You're full of bologna," Felicity tried her best to come across angry, but she found herself chuckling. She introduced herself next, her hand in Blackjack long forgotten as she had been absent-mindedly waving it about for all to see without realizing it. "I'm Felicity. A waitress! Just… a waitress."

"Chase," he waved again, holding up a hand. He pointed at Molly who was still engrossed talking to Rio, trying to treat it as casually as he could. "Chef and… the boyfriend."

"Ooo!" Luna perked up considerably. She was back to her impish grinning as she rose an eyebrow. "Are we allowed to say it out loud now?"

Candace had appeared excited at first, but after her sister's teasing, she grew worried Chase wouldn't take it well. Everyone watched as he let it almost physically roll off his shoulders, ignoring his frustration with the pinkette. "Why don't I start making up nicknames for you and Luke, eh? That fair?"

Luna remained quiet for a moment before she clicked her tongue and held up her cards in anticipation for the game to continue. "Okay. Point taken! So what do we got?"

Candace smiled in relief and chanced a glance at Chase. Even though he was keeping pretty cool about it, he was obviously proud of himself. As any man should be after slaying the untamable beast of Luna's ceaseless bantering.

Footfalls could be heard on the stairs, and everyone turned to see it was none other than Kathy back from her phone call. She paused as she neared the last step, pulling her shirt down around her hips before going back to rejoin the card party.

"You back from your call?" Rio peered past Molly. "We didn't really start the new round yet, so you didn't miss anything."

"Oh, hey!" Molly greeted her friend with a wave, and Tucker bounded forward. She didn't bother holding him back, and he nuzzled against Kathy's knees until she gave him a pat to calm him down. Then he was free to be on his way with his hellos out of the way. "You called Owen?"

"Yeah, back already?" Luna scrunched her nose suspiciously as Kathy approached but stopped at a distance.

Kathy spread out her arms and pulled a face. "Yeah… I guess it was too late. He couldn't talk long."

"That's still sweet you could say good night though!" Felicity said, Candace nodding along in agreement with her.

Kathy didn't have much to say and was having one of those rare times when she was speechless in the face of an awkward atmosphere. She gave her pants a pat before creasing her brow in confusion, noting the puddles forming below Molly, Chase, and Tucker. "Why are your clothes so wet?"

Molly shrugged it off. "It started snowing again – hard! Totally killed the… star-gazing."

Chase coughed.

"It's snowing again? I hope we'll be able to get out tomorrow okay," Luna said, always one to think ahead in these situations.

"See, Felicity? Even if you had a date, it would've been a bust," Rio tapped the table to get her attention, feeling like her point was proved with the latest developments in the weather.

"But it could've been so romantic! Snuggling up next to a fireplace together to get warm…" Felicity let out a sing-song-y sigh of wonderment at the scenario she had dreamed up.

"We'd better change before we get hypothermia though," Chase agreed, all too ready to fall into bed and pass out after such a tumultuous day of events. "Besides, I don't know how you guys are still running – I'm exhausted."

"Right, it's the same day?! It's hard to believe we got up at dawn for the trip just this morning," Luna blinked back the tears in her suddenly watery eyes.

"See, your days get longer when you wake up at a reasonable hour," Molly teased. Luna stuck out her tongue, so she did the same in response – the two of them winning the immaturity award of the room. Which was quite a feat considering Soseki and all his playful glory was there.

"If it's still snowing, I'd better head back and check on my barn one last time before I turn in," Rio decided, dropping her legs to the floor and swinging herself onto her feet. She twisted her spine back and forth and stretched her arms to the ceiling, letting out a catlike yawn.

"I forgot kiddies have bedtime," Soseki teased, stifling a yawn of his own as he, too, rose.

Felicity helped Candace collect the cards together, speaking more to her than the group as she fussed. "I hope everyone gets home okay, and it's not a blizzard… But I love to see the fresh snow in the morning all the same."

"Me, too," Candace smiled sweetly in response.

"Hey, it was nice to meet you, Molly. Good luck with the band," Rio held her hand out for another shake.

"Thanks, and good luck on the farm! Maybe I'll play cards with you guys next time," she found herself resisting the urge to bow to this girl who was all but three years older than her – tops. Molly just felt especially nostalgic about finally meeting Rio, someone her parents had known in their day.

As everyone began to put on their coats and shuffle to the door and more goodbyes and good nights were said, Kathy grabbed Molly's arm before she could ascend the stairs with Tucker. Luna and Candace plodded towards them, looking disgruntled and drowsy respectively. "Hold your horses, girly – Chase only just went up."

"Huh? So?" Molly asked, rubbing her eye. Now that she wasn't actively socializing, she was beginning to really feel the cold. She could do with a hot bath.

Kathy finally cracked a smile, trying to figure out how to put this to her friend in the gentlest way possible. "Well… give him a minute. He's probably changing, yeah?"

Molly paused. "Oh… right."

"You don't need to worry about any of that, Kathy. They're _officially_ dating now. She can walk in on him in the shower with no problem now," Luna flatly explained, leaning her head against the stair rail with a cherubic smile.

"Officially? Like… he… said something or…?" Kathy cautiously eyed Molly, trying not to divulge too much of her confidence from earlier.

"Yup! We worked things out," Molly said with a bob of her head. Luna was bummed they both seemed to be ignoring her shower comment.

"Oh… oh, wow! That's great! Okay, cool. No worries then…" Kathy mumbled, trying to wrap her head around it as the girls climbed the stairs together and meandered down the hall. Candace and Molly exchanged sleepy waves as the girls parted ways at their separate doors. Kathy knocked on their door first, still feeling a little paranoid about the situation. "Hey, Chase! Can we come in?"

"Yeah, why can't you come in? It's your room, stupid!" His voice called from the other side of the door.

"For heaven's sake…!" Kathy growled as Molly held in her giggles beside her. She turned the key and pushed the door open, stomping in without further ceremony. Chase was sitting up in the center of the first bed, already tucked under the covers with a book in his hands. Kathy chucked her room key at his head in passing, and just narrowly missed him, hitting the headboard.

"Hey! What the hell?!" Chase was snarling now, too. He took the key and made to throw it back at her.

"No manners! You're sharing a room with ladies – you need to be more aware of your surroundings," she sniffed in a manner similar to Luna. But she immediately nulled her statement by stripping her shirt off right then and there.

"Whoa, hey! Some lady you are!" Chase held his book up over his face.

Molly shut the door and checked the lock just in case, finally unclipping the leash from Tucker's collar. Happy to be free, the Pyrenees ran back and forth across the room a few times. She went to her duffel bag and brought out Tucker's bowl, going to the bathroom to fill it with water. Molly called over her shoulder as she did so: "Just change in the bathroom, Kathy! You're making Chase uncomfortable."

"Why? He doesn't seem to care he's sharing a room with women," Kathy said, still stubbornly standing in her bra and blue jeans. She kicked off her shoes as Molly set down some fresh water for Tucker who gratefully found it and began lapping it up. Kathy feigned her dramatics, throwing herself onto the opposite bed and staring Chase down with pouted lips. "Doesn't he know this is a slumber party room? We all have to have a sexy pillow fight and roll around with each other. Shirtless."

"Cut it out – only idiots think that's how sleepovers work anyway. Don't insult my intelligence," Chase grumbled, still with his nose stuck in his book.

Molly held up a finger to her lips, and Kathy picked up the cue. She twirled her ponytail. "You're right – I forgot the ice cream. We always eat lots of ice cream. And talk about our feelings."

"Oh, please," he said, practically trying to read cross-eyed.

Now close enough, Molly quickly leaned over towards Chase and blew in his ear. The poor boy nearly shot to the ceiling – his book certainly doing so, as he flung it across the bed in surprise. The girls howled with laughter, putting him on the spot and making him fear a night of mockery.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry – it was too easy!" Molly finally apologized between her giggles.

"You'd better get in the shower, Molly – as much fun as this is, I'm sure the hypothermia thing is pretty serious," Kathy finally took a deep breath and settled her laughs, reaching for the dresser. She pulled out the drawer while still laying on her stomach and found an over-sized shirt to sleep in.

"Okay, can I trust you not to harass Chase while I'm gone?" Molly teased as she walked around the bed and poked around the same drawer to find a change of clothes.

"You're the one blowin' in his ear, girly, not me," Kathy chuckled as she pulled the shirt over her head and released her ponytail. She wriggled out of her pants and tossed them at the foot of the bed, snuggling under the covers.

"Okay, okay…" Molly leant down and picked up Chase's discarded book and examined the title. It was a cookbook. _Of course. Heaven forbid he have any other interests_. She rolled her eyes and slowly approached him where he had a hand over his eyes like a visor in fear they were going to change in front of him again. She held it out to him. Chase caught it in his peripheral and tested a peek, finding it was safe. He took the book from her, and she smiled. "Consider it initiation to girl's night."

Chase watched her go as she disappeared to the bathroom and shut the door. He shook his head and went back through to find the page he had lost from the fiasco. "I can't believe you guys do this shit every Tuesday."

"Never gets old…" Kathy hummed, staring at the ceiling. She took one look at the phone on the nightstand between them and rolled over to stare at the opposite wall, curling her legs up towards her chest to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"Knows me in and out… I'll always stay…" Molly quietly sang a tune to herself as she brushed her hair under the blow dryer. Her shower had warmed her up, and she was feeling fresh and ready for a new day. It was a shame it was time for bed.<p>

Molly switched off the dryer and passed the brush through her hair one last time. She wasn't quite sure what it was she was humming, but she figured she had stolen the tune from somewhere else. There was just no way she was already writing a new song in her head – not so soon after the last! Though Molly definitely enjoyed songwriting, she wasn't willing to believe it was something that could come naturally to her.

"He's a monster, he's so mean…" Molly mumbled as she gathered together her things and switched off the light. She stepped out of the bathroom, still singing under her breath, and was surprised to see the room was completely dark. "This renegade… _eee_-mmph!"

"Why are you screaming?!" Chase hissed, his hand clamped over her mouth in the pitch black.

Molly had dropped her things, suddenly in horror movie mode and ready to fight for her life with the way he jumped her at the door. She roughly removed his hand, trying to glare at him but only barely able to make out his silhouette through the shadows. "Are you crazy?!"

Chase quickly filled in the blanks to explain, rolling his eyes with the gesture going unseen. "Kathy's sleeping – don't wake her up!"

"Well, you can see how this could be misinterpreted," Molly crossed her arms with a huff. She knelt down and groped around in the dark to collect her things around their feet. Finding her discarded bra, she snatched it and bunched it up with the rest of her clothes, hugging it tight to her chest as she rose to Chase's level again. "You could've just said something – sheesh! You didn't have to freak me out like that."

"I was just about to get my flashlight when you opened the door – I didn't expect you to waltz out here singing!" He countered in a harsh whisper.

"Jeez, and I thought it was something serious…" Molly waited patiently as Chase opened his bag left in the corner of the room. He rifled through it for a good while before he found his flashlight, switching it on and aiming it at the floor. "Can you lead me back to the dresser? I'm going to trip on something and wake up the whole hall."

"Hurry up, and quit talking," Chase said, carefully passing her. They walked single file to the space between the beds, and Molly put her things back in the top drawer. Chase crawled into bed and found his book, aiming his flashlight at the pages.

Molly turned and found Kathy snoozing away in the dim light coming off the flashlight. She was sprawled out in typical Kathy fashion with her face in the pillow and her arms hugging it tight underneath her. Her legs were stuck out like a starfish, taking up the majority of the bed. Tucker had found his corner of the bed and was sprawled on his side, his ear twitching slightly. Molly knew it would be easy to maneuver around them – hell, she'd been sharing a twin-sized bed with Kathy on their sleepovers for years. It wouldn't be hard. And yet… it made a believable excuse.

Chase's shoulder was given a shove, and before he knew it, Molly was crawling under the covers next to him. He was forced to scoot, just watching to see what on earth she thought she was doing as she propped herself up, found she wasn't comfortable, and looked about her. She spotted the pillow Chase wasn't using and leaned across him to retrieve it, nearly squashing his book as she sat back on her side with the pillow buffering her back and the headboard. She settled down and sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "So. Whatcha reading?"

"What are you doing?" Chase asked, still careful to speak in a hushed decibel.

"I'm just curious! And Tucker and Kathy are taking up the whole bed – I can't move her without waking her up," Molly easily lied on the latter. She might have been the only one, other than Papa Hayden or perhaps the sisters if they remembered, to know that Kathy was an insanely heavy sleeper. That girl could sleep through anything from an alarm to a high-magnitude earthquake – as evidenced by the year a typhoon hit and took almost all of the shingles from Molly's house, but Kathy slept like a log the whole night through. Molly struck up the conversation again. "Do you memorize recipes?"

"Er…" Chase set the flashlight down at his side, not bothering to turn it off yet. It cast an eerie, white beam across the room to create a circle on the wall that looked like a massive, round eyeball staring back at him. He scratched at the loose hair falling into his face without the bobby pins, wondering how much she was going to pick on him for what he was about to admit. "I just can't sleep unless I read something."

"Oh? Is it a learning thing? You learn a new recipe each night?" Molly was blinking owlishly at how impressive he was.

"Actually…" he let out a deep breath. "Studying puts me to sleep."

"You… _bore_ yourself? To sleep?" Of course it struck her funny, and Molly's shoulders shook as she asked him to confirm the embarrassing fact.

His eyes had been growing heavy now that he had skimmed a good portion of the dessert recipes, but Molly's teasing was waking him back up. Chase didn't like that. He shut his book and clicked the flashlight off, handing them to her to put on the night stand. Instead, she just held onto them. He turned his back on her and rolled over, settling in to force himself to get some rest. "Just go to sleep already – and get back in your own bed!"

"But I'm not tired anymore!" Molly whined. She turned the flashlight back on and opened the recipe book to a random page. She began to keenly read the lists of instructions, trying out his technique.

Chase listened as the pages rapidly began to flip. It got worse and worse until he was convinced Molly was the only person on the planet who could _read_ loudly. Exasperated, he sat back up and took the book from her with a firm yank. "What are you looking for?!"

"These recipes are all too yummy – they're making me hungry!" He could see her face in the unnatural light, looking genuinely distressed.

It was Chase's turn to laugh at her expense, but he knew which recipe would do the trick. He went to the vegetables and found a dog-eared page. "Here, try this one."

"Can you read it to me?" Molly asked with a hopeful smile.

Chase held up the flashlight and pointed it directly at the page. Molly snuggled closer, ducking her head down under his arm and resting partially on his chest. She closed her eyes and waited for him to begin. With a wary glance at Kathy, he found she was still sleeping like a Saint Bernard with the Pyrenees and began reading. "Okay, it's for roasted artichoke. If this still makes you hungry, I'll get up and make you scrambled eggs."

"Deal," she nodded, holding her hands up under her chin.

"This is what you need. P.S. they call this a delicacy. Just so you know. This is high-level, refined shit right here. Not your peasant food," Chase was smirking as he prattled off the short list of ingredients. "First thing is a cup and a half of olive oil. You also need a cup and a half of dry white wine."

"Mm, you're right. Sounds fancy," Molly mumbled. She was being lulled listening to his even heartbeat.

Chase continued. "Twelve cloves of finely chopped garlic."

"Ew, gross," she whispered, already sounding far away.

A little baffled, Chase read on: "Six stemmed artichokes."

She yawned. "A_ha_. I knew they'd be in there somewhere…"

He almost laughed aloud at her commentary. How was she making reading a recipe fun? At one in the morning?

Chase set the book and flashlight aside and leaned forward. Molly was roused as he took her pillow – himself – with him as he swiveled around and hovered above her. Molly's eyes were wide open again as she stared up. It wasn't a fearful gaze – she wasn't scared of him. She trusted him. Her stare was perceiving. A little curious.

Here he was. In bed with the girl he'd been dreaming about for _years_. Chase wasn't about to admit it, but he'd be a dirty liar if he told even himself that it wasn't... intriguing. To say the least.

"Are you still awake?" He asked, watching her with the same, quiet observance.

Molly shook her head. "Mm-mm. I'm faaaast asleep."

Chase smirked. His head bobbed down to hide his smile and maybe his rising blush as well. "You are so out of it."

"You're over-tired, too," she accused, rubbing her eye and yawning again.

"You're right," he agreed, flopping back down away from her. He found the flashlight and turned it off, letting it roll to the end of the bed as he fluffed up his pillow and propped it up under his head.

Molly rolled over onto her side to face him. "Good night."

"Night, Molly," Chase closed his eyes. Once he did, they were too heavy to open again.

"Thanks for letting me stay."

His hand trailed along under the sheet between them and found one of her hands. He brought it to his mouth and kissed the back of it, winding their fingers together for the night. Molly smiled and scooted closer to the middle of the bed, tucking herself close to him.

It was nice… not having to say goodbye.

* * *

><p>Molly found she was the first person to wake up in the early hours of the morning. Probably habit.<p>

She slowly sat up when she found Chase at her nose, remembering that she had commandeered his bed for the night. It had only been a handful of hours that she got to sleep, but she still felt energetic. Again, it was probably through habit, but she liked to think that being so close to Chase had given her comfort or even just magically made her refreshed. Which was a nice thought, too.

It was difficult not poking at Chase's face while he slept. He wasn't as glamorous as she thought he would be – his lips were parted, and he was lightly snoring. His tangles of hair were all across his forehead like a thick wall blocking out his eyes. Figuring it probably itched, Molly let herself use it as excuse enough to gently draw back his hair and arrange it over his head out of the way. She was glad to see his brow at peace as a nice surprise. No angry lines of irritation or puzzlement at something silly she was doing. She hummed in satisfaction and soundlessly slipped out of bed.

After another shower, Molly was ready and raring to go. By the time she was dressed and out, Kathy was awake and out of the room. Molly was curiously looking around for Tucker when the door quietly opened, and in walked the object of her search and her friend with a wet head.

"Where've you been?" Molly asked, peeking at Chase and confirming he was still asleep.

"When I woke up, Tucker had to go out. But I had to go to the bathroom, too, so I crashed the girls' room. Figured I'd just shower since I was there. They've been up for an hour," Kathy reported, screwing her hair up into a bun as Molly bid her dog good morning.

"Gee, what time is it?" Molly asked, looking around for a clock.

"Sometime after eight," Kathy answered again, unceremoniously stuffing her clothes back into her bag and emptying the top dresser drawer of her luggage. She tossed her bag onto her bed and put her hands on her hips, looking down on Chase's sleeping face. She grinned at Molly. "What do you say we wake up Sleeping Beauty?"

"He looks so peaceful though! Kind of feels wrong…" Molly said, bringing a hand to her chin as she came to stand beside Kathy to analyze the situation.

The blonde tilted her head to get a new perspective. "Hm… you're right. He looks… not annoyed. For once."

Molly giggled behind her hand. Both girls gasped as Tucker leapt upon the bed, and they watched in genuine horror as the big dog happily approached Chase and began to sniff his face. His breath puffed locks of his peachy hair every which way.

"Guess we won't have to do the job ourselves – Tuck's got it taken care of!" Kathy stated in her normal, rather loud, speaking voice. She clapped her hands of the deed and went to the bathroom to dry her hair.

"Oh, dear…" Molly shook her head, just waiting for the bomb to go off. She took the rest of the contents from the drawer, assumed they were her own, and piled them into her duffel bag. With a tug, she zipped it tight.

Seconds later, Chase sputtered and bolted upright. He found Tucker at his nose, wagging his tail, and panting a goofy smile. His head swiveled and found Molly, voice groggy and thick with sleep. "You. You did this."

"Tucker's just saying good morning! Come on, up, up! Check out's in two hours!" Molly clapped her hands and fanned the blanket up.

Chase snatched it and ducked down with it over his head. Through the blanket, his voice was muffled. "Two hours to sleep then!"

"Nu-uh, you're our manager! You've got to make sure we're all out the door and ready to go," Molly placed both palms down on the bed, staring down at his covered head. He just groaned in response. Since he was usually the instigator in these things, Molly felt a little giddy as she poked him. "But if you're really still asleep… I can help if you quit hiding."

The blankets shifted, and Chase warily peered out at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. When he saw her watching him so intently, he revealed his whole face. "What are you talking ab—?"

Molly surprised him with a kiss, slowly leaning back. When Chase didn't immediately follow her, she held his face in her hands and kissed him again. She smiled when he started to chase after her as she continued to kiss him and lead him into a sitting position – more or less using herself as bait. Once he had almost crawled to the edge of the bed and was close to tottering off, Molly gave him one last forceful one before playfully ruffling his hair and turning back to her duffel bag.

"Time to start the day, Sleeping Beauty!" Molly saluted with a sassy smirk, proud of her easy victory.

Chase sighed, lost in a mixture of regret at leaving the covers, foolish for falling for her tricks so willingly, and a dash of wanting more. Especially after he played fair and didn't try to instigate anything the night before. He shook his head of those embarrassing thoughts and roughly rubbed his face to come alive, turning to find Tucker back at his nose. This time, the dog licked Chase's cheek a few times before he could be swatted away. "Hey, no – not you, too! I'm up! I'm _up!"_

Molly laughed but whistled, calling Tucker to her side as she left the room to meet up with the other girls downstairs.

* * *

><p>"Paid? In full?"<p>

Molly turned to her friends to make sure she wasn't going crazy from lack of sleep, and she was really hearing him right. But they all wore the same startled, dumbfounded expression she was.

"Yup! You don't owe a single gold coin," Hossan smiled at the group from across the counter. His son Niko was standing at his side looking just as proud. "Mayor Dunhill paid for your stay early this morning."

"B-but that wasn't part of the deal…" Molly fumbled around for her logic at receiving this generous gift.

"Oh! And he left this envelope for you. I assume it's your payment? What you agreed upon with Mayor Hamilton, yes?" Hossan provided a little white envelope. Kathy took it and tore it open, showing the check for the promised 500G an hour, and he put them down for having played the whole festival opening, giving them 1,000G total. They exchanged a look.

"But really – what do we owe?" Luna took the initiative to speak up, all but elbowing the others out of the way. When it came to money, Molly agreed to hand the reins to her and her business-oriented brain. In this moment, Molly was very, very glad to have her so willing to step forward since she was at such a loss herself.

"Nothing at all, except we offer you at last our sincerest gratitude," Hossan made a little bow, and Niko rushed to mimic him. "Though he couldn't be here to say it himself, as he's preparing for the Winter Crop Festival, Dunhill wanted me to be very clear telling you that our town was very impressed with how you went above and beyond our expectations. We've had people asking about your performance since you played, and it really made the festival quite the hit this year! Let your stay be on us, and we wish you luck in your endeavors, always open to having you play at any of our events in the future."

All five twenty-something's had their jaws nearly open to the floor, gaping at his eloquent speech. They all seemed to compose themselves at the same time, coughing into their hands, staring at the floor, and being generally awkward. Candace was the first to bow, deeply and with ease, and her friends attempted to copy her.

"Thank you!"

"It's our pleasure!"

"Thanks so much!"

Their disjointed babble of jumbled thanks ended, and they quietly left with their bags in tow. Niko waved, and Molly waved back, wishing she was as spirited as he was about it. But she was too fazed.

"It feels like we're stealing…" Candace whispered as Chase opened the front door and held it for them.

"Eugh, don't say it like that," Kathy shuddered, hugging her shoulders as they stepped out into the cold. "Feels pretty spot on though…"

"We should be grateful!" Molly interjected, squinting around at the bright snow all around them. The flurry that had come in late the previous evening had swathed the world in a thick layer of powdered snow, like smooth frosting on a cake. The air wasn't as bitter as it was yesterday, and the sun was already climbing high above their heads.

As it was eleven, Neil had brought the horses and cart, and they were ready and waiting for them. Of course, he didn't just leave them on their own, and he was moodily waiting by the team, giving them one last inspection.

"We are grateful, it's just… weird," Luna concluded.

"They even packed up your instruments…" Chase stared at the loaded cart with a touch of abject horror in his face.

Molly tossed her duffel bag on the wagon, shaking her head. "Okay, they are _definitely_ trying to get rid of us."

Neil tromped through the snow, his bare hands kept in his pockets to keep them warm. Molly couldn't help but expect this. Even though she had only just barely met him, he seemed to be the type of person to be stupidly stubborn. Unflinching in strange ways. Like maybe refusing to wear winter gear and freezing his ass off to prove a point. That type of guy.

He stopped before her, giving Chase a nod that annoyed Molly at their continued telepathy. "They're fed and ready to go. They'll make the journey home no problem, but I packed some hay for the halfway point."

"Thanks, Neil. You really know your stuff!" Molly smiled.

She turned in concern when she heard Tucker whine – a strange sound. Chase had his leash firmly in his grip, but he stepped forward so Tucker could stand with Molly. The dog eyed Neil with sad, tearful eyes, and Molly looked between them. Neil appeared surprised before he rolled his eyes as Tucker patiently sat and flicked his tail in anticipation.

Neil took one of his hands out of his pocket and produced a milk bone dog treat. Tucker beamed at it and let out a happy bark before Neil tossed it to him, and he caught it. He crunched it happily in his teeth, satisfied now that the good smell was in his stomach.

"Wow, good nose, boy," Molly muttered, looking down at her dog. Now in her mind, Neil was like one of those kind old men at church with the candy for kids in his pocket or a dog Santa. Santa Paws.

But when she looked up, Neil was glaring testily at her. "Rod won't say it – he's a nice guy. But get your dog trained. He's spoiled."

"Y-yes, sir!" Molly found herself scrambling to please under his unwavering glower. Neil 'tch'ed with his hands back in his pockets. He turned with a flurry equal to a sci-fi villain with the way his coat flared, and he gave the Arabian a solid pat in passing before he trudged off, puffing angry clouds of breath. She added as an afther thought, calling to him: "And, uh, thank you!"

Molly took a deep breath in relief as he disappeared without acknowledging her. Chase was frowning next to her, his arms crossed. "What an asshole."

"But he was right – Tucker's gotten so disobedient," Molly looked downcast as Tucker proved her point, struggling to sniff underneath the wagon and nearly pulling Chase over with the force he was trying to use to get his way.

"Was he ever obedient?" Chase countered, struggling to keep him in line.

"Hm..." Molly deliberated, coming up short on examples for times when Tucker was in good behavior.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Kathy pushed Candace's flower print backpack onto the cart, the last of their things, and everyone turned simultaneously to see a little man running at them. He was dressed all in red with a matching top hat and button nose. He looked jovial but winded. He put his hands on his knees as he caught up to their parked cart, letting out a sigh.

Molly greeted him first. Graciously as ever. She held up a perky hand. "Hi!"

"I'm glad I… caught you," he took deep breaths, creating a little chimney of hot air as he collected himself. Finally righting his posture, the man gave them a polite bow and tipped his hat. "My name is Thomas! Mayor Thomas! Molly & The Animal Parade, I presume?"

"That's us!" Kathy said, leaning her arms along the side of the cart as she watched the encounter.

"How can we help you, Mr. Mayor Thomas?" Molly asked, back to being as chipper as ever.

"I had the enormous privilege of witnessing your show at last night's festival, and I've been trying to get ahold of you girls ever since! You play wonderfully," he praised with a little clap and show of his straight teeth.

"Thank you, sir…" Candace made another one of her smooth, almost regal-looking bows. Molly gave her a subtle thumbs up and a wink for her skill.

"Is it a hobby, or… do you hire out? Both?" Thomas asked, holding his hands together in curiosity. He was focusing on Molly since she seemed to be the main spokesperson to deal with.

Sensing the business emitting from him like steam on a hot spring, Luna picked up the dice and gave her two cents. "Both. It's a hobby, but we play here and there."

"Meaning, we're accepting of gigs, yes," Chase worded it a little gentler and possibly clearer. Luna sent him an offended glare since he was stepping on her toes in this, but he didn't like to play run around like she did. It was cold standing outside, and it would be best to get straight to the point.

"Well, that's great! Just what I wanted to hear," Thomas chuckled heartily. He shuffled his feet in the snow. "I know this is hardly the place to be discussing this, but you see, I'm in a pinch for time. I came to Echo for the various meetings surrounding the scheduling of events for the coming year with the local mayor, but I'll be leaving today to get back to my own district in Mineral Town. We're holding our New Years' Eve Festival tomorrow night, and we have a big feast, watch the sunrise on the summit, the whole celebration - what have you. But if you'd be willing, I would love to host your band for the festival!"

They all twitched. Was this… a serious offer? What would they do about home? Spend the holiday away? Was that okay? They rented the horses for five days – if Mineral Town was just a day's travel away, they'd be able to just make it back without breaking their agreement with Renee. They were paid more than they thought they'd get from Dunhill. What was happening.

Thomas spoke up again, worried that their deliberation was a negative response. "Of course, we'd be more than happy to put you up for the night as well. No inn expenses – all free of charge!"

Molly looked between them and slowly began to nod. "W-we're definitely interested… it's just…"

"Do you have a going rate?" Mayor Thomas pressed, seeming antsy. The guy wasn't lying when he said he was pressed for time. He was like the White Rabbit, ready to bring out his pocket watch at a moment's notice. "I'm unsure how much Dunhill offered you, but Mineral Town would be happy to have you for… five?"

"Five hundred?" Molly asked hopefully. With the inn paid, that would be a decent wage for an appearance at a small town festival. Luna still appeared skeptical, but everyone else was waiting for Molly to take it.

"Oh, thousand of course!" Thomas corrected her with an amused wave of the hand.

"Five _thousand?"_ Molly couldn't hide the surprise evident in her voice. If she had a drink, she would have spit it out.

"6,000G?" Thomas made another offer.

Luna slapped Molly on the shoulder like she was bidding at an auction. The girl snapped into gear, holding up her hands and shaking her head. "Oh, we'll take it! Five is just fine!"

Thomas happily chortled. "Oh, don't be so modest! 6,000G it is! Shall we shake on it?"

Molly could hardly believe what she was hearing. She stuck out her arm like she was reaching for a lifeline. "Certainly! Yes!"

Thomas shook her hand. He was surprisingly very warm. He clapped happily for the deal. "Wonderful! We'll leave immediately then! I'll ready my wagon and meet you here – I'll be just a moment!"

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Molly managed to wave as the little man dashed out of sight just as fast. With the color of his clothes and his eagerness to strike a deal with them, she felt like she had just signed a contract with the devil. It had all happened so fast.

"So… change of plans?" Kathy asked, a smile quirking up her lips as she crossed her arms.

Molly nodded, looking between the faces of disbelief around her. "Yeah… everyone? There's been a detour. We're going to Mineral Town!"


	20. Chapter Twenty

Thanks so much to Rosallite, WindRush, Xleisa, and Guest for your reviews last chapter! Having some trouble with inspiration myself, your words of encouragement and excitement are so uplifting. I can't believe it's been so long since I last updated, and I sincerely apologize. Again. It's nothing new, but I'm swamped! Let's get this thing rolling.

And an extra special thanks to Accidentally The Whole Fanfic for his shit ton of catch up reviews, holy crap. Thanks, man! Your support and grammar catches have been a huge help. And you're hilarious. Always get a laugh from your comments. Rock on, bro.

You guys totally deserve tons to read after having to wait so long. And these chapters are so looooong lately. And I think they'll stay that way until the end. So I hope that helps! Thanks again for your patience with me!

Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty<strong>

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><p>The snow was already beginning to melt the further they drew away from Echo Town. As the cart made its way towards the beach on creaking wheels, the mountains sloped flatter, and the trees grew slimmer. The air wasn't so thin, and birds chirped in the leafy canopy above the path.<p>

Mayor Thomas led the caravan on a cart of his own with a single brown horse pulling ahead of him. To the girls' surprise, he was travelling alone. He had assured them though that his little village was well-cared for.

"I've got a few steady heads to rely on when I take my duties on the road, haha! You girls will love Mineral Town, I assure you. It's the kindest burb on the coast!" He tipped his top hat proudly upon his brow, staring ahead at the bumpy, dirt road.

"Sounds exciting! I've never been this way before," Molly admitted from his side, sitting a little squashed on the tiny seat next to him. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, picking at her gloves. "My parents moved to Castanet when I was in my teens. I've always heard about all of the farming districts and outposts across the peninsula, but we never got a chance to see them all."

"That's a mighty shame," Thomas replied with a sad nod. Passing the reins off to one hand, he brightly tapped her knee. He gave her a beaming smile. "You'll have to bring them along with you next time! Everyone could use a little vacation every once in awhile. Tell 'em the mayor would welcome them himself!"

Molly chuckled at his kind offer, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. She let out a deep breath and was surprised that she couldn't see it in the crisp air. The temperature was already crawling above freezing in the late afternoon sunshine. "I'm afraid that's impossible. You're actually looking at a troupe of orphans. Kathy's the only one who's got a parent alive. Though the girls have their grandma."

Thomas paled considerably, awkwardly swallowing his regrettable words and fumbling for something to say. Orphans? All of them? It was a staggeringly grim thing for her to announce so casually. The mayor couldn't help but feel that was a terrible misfortune for a sizeable group of youngsters. People didn't just drop off like flies, so… could it have been—?

The cart hit a bump and shook the pair, jogging him back into the present. Molly beat him to the quick though and spoke first. She cheerily grinned his way. "But thank you! You're very kind!"

"Er – um, of course!" Mayor Thomas, desperate to change the subject, hastily passed the leather reins off to the girl. "Would you like to drive for a bit?"

"Really? Ooo, sure! This is so exciting!" Molly giggled as she happily accepted control, firmly gripping the lead between her hands and watching the road ahead with her teeth tugging her lip.

_Phew… good thing she was easily distracted,_ he thought.

"Am I doing it right, Mayor Thomas?" Molly asked, pulling the reins the opposite direction the path was taking.

"Yes, you're doing just fine!" He praised. Thomas couldn't help but feel relieved now that the topic was cleared. He fanned himself with his top hat, slumping back in the seat and letting his mind wander to other matters.

Chase didn't know who woke up first, so he was still avoiding eye contact with Kathy. She hadn't poked any fun at him like usual, but instead of feeling in the clear, he felt like he was on the brink of an episode at any waking moment. Like she was torturing him with a time lapse before disaster.

His aching feet thumped against the dirt path as he led their horses beside her. It was a steady incline downhill, so it was an easy walk but a long one. A stick crunched under his boot as he chanced a glance Kathy's way. The blonde had her head turned the opposite direction, so all he saw was ponytail. She turned her chin slightly as she stared up at the snow melting from the trees, and Chase was surprised to see she looked… forlorn. It was a very somber expression with a faraway stare. _What's she thinking about?_

A mourning dove cooed from a pin oak off the path. As the carts passed, it spread its wings and flew by overhead. Kathy's eyes followed it until they landed on Chase observing her. A stitch formed in her brow as she glared at him in confusion. "What?"

"Erm…!" Chase snuggled his mouth behind his scarf, embarrassed at being caught watching her. Or even caring that something was bothering her. Since she was always such a nuisance… even if he had Kathy to thank to keep Molly from skipping town in a frenzy after finding out he'd been pining all these years for her in the way she ogled her Mikhail posters. A pang of irritation passed through him at the thought, but Chase didn't have time for petty jealousy at the moment. He grumbled as he focused on watching the back of Thomas' wagon. "S'nothing, alright? You're imagining things."

Kathy wrinkled her nose. "You were lookin' at me like I was milk a week past due. What's that face for?"

He pulled the sour look she described, irate with her persistence. Chase huffed. "Why are you asking about my face – what's with yours?"

"Chase! That is not a question you ask a lady!" Kathy's fist tightened on the horse's bridle as her lecture voice escaped her.

"That's not what I meant!" He snapped back. Chase looked away again with an eye roll. He paused before he admitted his concern. "You just look… sad."

Kathy's eyes bugged in surprise at his perceptiveness. She glued her eyes to her brown cowgirl boots, watching as she splashed through a squishy puddle of mud. The Arabian at her side snorted. "Well… besides… thanks."

"For what?" Chase nearly scoffed in disbelief. What had he ever done for her?

"I don't know," she lied with a light shrug, rolling her shoulders back. She suddenly wore her familiar smirk, her green eyes sparkling only just a bit dimmer than usual. "Quit making eyes at Molly, will ya? You can do that all you want when we get to the inn in Mineral Town."

Chase sputtered in anger, his face lighting up to the tips of his ears. "I knew you knew about last night!"

"Of _course_ I knew she didn't sleep in my bed!" Kathy laughed, glad she wedged a turn in the conversation. She pointed at him. "Molly's a hugger when she sleeps. Drives me crazy if I stay over in the summer, but I bet you just loooooved that, didn't ya, snuggles?"

"You're such an ass…" Chase muttered, turning away as she continued to giggle to herself. He wished he never bothered.

Candace slowly batted her eyelids, parting her lips and feeling groggy. She passed her mitten across her face and sat up with a yawn.

"Morning, lazy bones," Luna hummed next to her, staring into a pocket mirror.

She felt overheated. Candace removed her beanie and tugged off her knit mittens, setting them down on the cart between the snare drum and kick stand. She unwove the scarf from around her neck, letting it hang loosely about her shoulders. "How long have I been asleep…?"

"Mm… not sure. Most of the afternoon," she answered. She passed the charcoal black stick over her cheek in a zigzag and frowned. Luna turned to face her sister. "What do you think? Which whisker is best?"

"Hm…" Candace rubbed her eyes and scooted forward to sit on her calves. She folded her hands in her lap as she examined the different streaks across Luna's face. One was wavy, one was crooked back and forth like a lightning bolt, one had a curl on the end, and the last was straight. "I… I think it looks best when it's just straight."

"I knew you'd say that," Luna half-sighed as she peered back into her compact.

Candace eyed Tucker who had been napping as well. He was up now that the girls were talking, and his tail was thumping expectantly as he watched Luna. Candace looked at the green forest around them in wonder. "It's much warmer here…"

"Mineral Town is on the southern coast," Luna snapped the mirror shut and capped the pen. She pursed her lips as she leaned back against Chase's acoustic guitar, slap shoddily cased in an afghan. Propping her arms behind her head, she sighed as she stared up at the blue sky. "That's how you know spring is here. Mineral Town gets it first."

"Oh…" Candace mumbled. She had no idea her sister was so knowledgeable about the areas in Castanet's immediate vicinity. Then again, if Luna was always vying for Gill's attention, there was no cap for fun facts. But Candace knew better to believe that old rumor. She turned around to face forward, careful not to snag her clothes against the wood. The path was taking a jarring turn up ahead in front of Mayor Thomas' cart, and his horse slowed as it scaled the uneven ground.

"You think Gramma misses us?" Luna suddenly asked, watching her sister's face.

Candace softly smiled. She shook her head. "I'm sure she does… She'll understand though. I'll call her when we get to the inn… okay?"

"No, I'll do it," Luna said with finality.

Feeling a little like a burden, Candace slouched slightly. Her downcast demeanor didn't last long though. She grabbed the side of the wagon and peered up ahead, dodging a low hanging branch. An excited smile stretched from ear to ear. "Luna! We're here!"

"At last!" Luna grumped. She didn't get up immediately and continued to stare at the placid blue sky above them.

"It's Mineral Town…" Candace gasped in awe. She didn't know as much as Luna about geography or lore, but Candace knew that Mineral Town was one of the oldest settlements in the land. It was so rich in history. She couldn't help but be excited to see it firsthand.

Luna scrunched her brow in annoyance as Candace leaned even further out for a better view. She rolled onto her side. "Gee, Candace, we'll get there in a few minutes. Hold your pants on – you're rocking the cart!"

Her yelling roused Tucker's instincts to help, and the Pyrenees hobbled across the bouncing wagon to her side. Luna squealed in disgust as he gave her a sloppy kiss, streaking her various whiskers.

"Eugh, gross! _Stop!_"

Kathy's clear laugh sounded up ahead as she looked back at the commotion and found Tucker attacking Luna. "Aw, looks like Tucker's good with cats."

"Here we are!" Thomas called from the front. "Welcome to Mineral Town!"

"Yay!" Molly clapped, having had to hand the reins back over to Thomas for the steep path. She could hear her heart pumping in her ears as she stared out across the landscape.

"Finally…" Chase mumbled, blowing at his loose bangs. The Appaloosa on his left gave him a friendly nicker that surprised him. He rubbed the gelding's warm nose and pushed him away as he went to bite his bobby pins. "Alright, alright! You're hungry; I get it. We're finally here."

Candace held her hands over her heart and sat back on her heels as the cart came around the cliff side. The road was wound about the last mountain at a precarious incline, leaving open a marvelous view of cobblestone roads, tall pines, and shingled rooftops. She took a deep breath and could just barely smell the salty ocean. Such a familiar smell. When she opened her eyes again, Candace found Luna at her side staring out at Mineral Town. "It smells like home."

After having fought off Molly's dog and cleared her face of any lingering traces of makeup, Luna had crawled to the edge to join her sister. She was surprised to see so many trees bunched around the streets, making the town houses look like polka dots amongst the thick greenery. Luna inhaled and past the strong scent of pine, there was the fishy water of the winter ocean. She slowly blinked and found Candace smiling back at her. She grinned. "Yeah… Yeah, it does."

The road took the travelers through a forest, and the first cabin they passed was a woodcutter's home. Patches of packing snow still gathered in the shade of the tall trees and over door awnings. Smoke rose from a piped chimney through the roof.

"Mm, I love that smell!" Luna announced, happily gulping in the surrounding air.

"Campfires?" Molly called back over her shoulder, wearing a curious expression. She never took Luna to be the campfire type, but she supposed she always roasted marshmallows with everyone during the summer festivals.

"Or is it wood chips? Sawdust? I like that smell," Kathy agreed. Now that everyone was shouting to hear each another, they were all having one noisy conversation in the otherwise serene woodland.

"It's carpenters," Chase loudly replied. It was his turn to wear a smug expression as he cast a pointed look Kathy's way. "She likes the smell of _carpenters_."

"You're asking for it, you kitchen wench!" Luna was seething, but his point was proven by the hue of her cheeks. She rolled up the sleeves of her coat in a threatening manner, but she didn't have any intimidating biceps that might make him back off.

The girls all laughed at her expense as they passed the building by. The roads were flatter; so well-worn after decades of travel. They crossed a wooden bridge where chunks of ice passed by in the river underneath. Farmland opened up as the closeness of the forest disappeared behind them.

"Up here is Yodel Ranch," Mayor Thomas pointed across Molly. She followed his hand and spotted a tall silo next to an impressive barn and farm house. "That's where we'll keep your horses. Old Barley owes me a favor. He'd be happy to help ya, haha!"

"Thank you! That's some favor…" Molly remarked. She nearly jumped in surprise when the whole wagon began to rumble below her as they left the dirt road and boarded the cobblestones. She smiled down at her feet, watching the road pass below her behind the horse's hooves.

Her eyes drifted as they passed the ranch, and she caught sight of something red. Molly did a double take and realized it was a little girl holding a pail of water. She couldn't have been more than six or seven. She quickly set it down once Molly made eye contact and retreated around the side of the barn with her little braids trailing after her.

"Ho, there!" Thomas took off his top hat and began waving it over his head. Molly squinted at a person waiting for them at the entrance to the plaza. He was a big, burly man in a wife beater under a bomber jacket with his arms crossed high on his chest. At first, she could have almost sworn she had spotted Owen in front of them, what with his girth-y build, until she realized the man was much older.

"'Ey, there, Mayor! Have a safe trip to Echo?" He called up to them with a wave in return. His buzz cut thoroughly squared off his head.

"Jolly good trip! Weather here at home is much nicer though; I can vouch for that after just escaping a blizzard," he let out a low whistle and tugged the reins. The horse came to a halt, and the girls stopped the wagon behind them.

"I see you've got some cargo!" The man let out a booming laugh, nodding to the party they were leading.

"Oop!" Molly hopped down from the seat she shared with Thomas and hit the ground a little rocky. Letting out a giggle to herself, she dusted off her pants and hurried around the cart to introduce her band. She bravely jutted a hand out to the man, having to crane her neck back. _Gee, he's a lot taller down here!_ "Yes, sir! My name's Molly. Mayor Thomas hired our band to play for your town at New Year's!"

"Name's Zack! Nice to meetcha, little lady," Zack took her hand in a firm grip. His smile was friendly, and she couldn't help but feel like she could trust him immediately. A gentle giant. He looked over Molly's shoulder with a worried frown. "Ya wanna unload here, Mayor?"

Thomas was swinging down from the seat on his own, making quite the spectacle. He was a good head shorter than Molly, so the height difference made his journey down more cumbersome. With both arms across the seat, he kicked his legs in the air, holding himself up as he tested for the floor with the toe of his boot. He managed to steady himself and climb down, clapping his hands with finality. "Well! Yes, I'd like to. Might as well leave the old chuck wagon here for the night with the festivities beginning tomorrow. Oh! But I should run along and have a word with Doug about rooms for our guests!"

"We stopping here?" Kathy's voice startled Molly who had almost forgotten her friends were waiting for some feedback on what they were doing. Behind her, the sisters had clambered out of the wagon, and Chase had wrangled Tucker onto his leash.

"Right around the corner, we have our lovely, scenic inn. I'm sure you girls will find yourselves most comfortable there, but I'll have to give a hi-ho to Doug real quick," Thomas explained to her, gloved fingers pressed together as he spoke. "Otherwise, this is it! You'll be performing in this square come tomorrow evening. What happens until then is up to you. We have sight-seeing, an expansive beach, and even a library we're quite proud of!"

"What do you say?" Kathy eyed Molly for a decision.

Molly suspiciously watched as a pair of heads bobbed around the side of their wagon load of instruments, a sneaky smile forming on her lips. "Hm… I'll stay here with the cart, if that's okay. Should someone come with you to talk to Doug, Mr. Mayor?"

"I-I'd like to go!" Candace surprised them when she readily volunteered, her cheeks dusted pink with a shy hand held in the air.

"Oh, how lovely! I'm sure Doug couldn't say no to a pretty face like yours, haha!" Thomas took her hands in both of his own and shook them gratefully.

Luna gave her sister a look of disbelief as Candace stood attentively before the mayor. She rolled her eyes. "I'll stay behind with Molly, and we all know where this one's going."

Chase turned an offended scowl to Luna's thumb jabbing at him, but he couldn't deny she was right. He'd stick around wherever Molly happened to be. If anything, he could have argued that he wasn't simply being clingy, but that he felt very out of his element. He'd been on their lunch duty as the girls travelled, but he hadn't properly cooked in a kitchen in days, and they were detouring in a strange town. The unfamiliarity of it all was making him clam up. Lately, Chase was looking quieter than Candace.

"I think I'll hoof it with Candace," Kathy said, giving Molly a rough pat on the shoulder. She made a show of pointedly looking over her shoulder before leaning towards Molly's ear without whispering for subtlety. "You've got your hands full, kid."

"Hey!" Chase and Luna barked in objection together, only making Kathy's teasing cut deeper into their embarrassment.

Molly chuckled and gave Kathy a whap to her arm as they toddled off with Thomas. After giving instruction to hand the girls' horses over to Ol' Barley, the mayor left with Candace at his side, talking animatedly all the way. He spread his arms out to the trees lining the square, and Candace watched in rapt attention, her eyes wide in awe like she was genuinely star struck by his tourism spiel. Kathy trailed behind them with her hands in her pockets, scuffing the tip of her boot against the cobblestones.

"Well, ya heard Mayor Thomas!" Zack announced, making the three young people jump. He had easily unhitched the mayor's horse and went to free the other two to guide them back to the ranch they had passed. He nearly scared Chase stiff when he smacked his shoulder in passing. "'Ey, help me lead these geldings in, will ya? Let the ladies take a sit."

"Yes, sir!" Chase leapt into action to avoid further confrontation. He passed Tucker off to Molly and followed after the hulking man with his arms held close about him.

Zack gave him a perplexed look as he hurried to catch up with his massive stride. "You, uh… are a boy, right?"

"Of course I'm a _boy!_" Chase couldn't help but snap at the insult to his masculinity. He rubbed his nose and decided to prove himself by lifting up the hitch on his own, nearly staggering and sending it all backwards.

"Whoa! Careful now!" Zack jumped in to help him, and together they worked to get the horses off the cart.

Molly giggled on the sidelines, happy to see Chase acting more like himself even if it meant a bruise to his ego. She glanced at her side and found Luna all but puffing through her pouted lips.

"That was awfully sexist. I could have just as easily helped with the horses," she sniffed.

Molly could tell it wasn't so much what Zack had said but more that Luna was just in a bad mood in general. She couldn't very well blame her though. They'd been travelling all day, and it was nearing sundown. She gave her a playful nudge. "Aw, he didn't mean it like that. Besides, they seem to be a bit old-fashioned around here. Oh, poor Chase… You can still help if you want, you know."

"The point is lost!" Luna turned up her nose with a little sigh. She briskly walked to the stout, brick wall that lined the entirety of the square and sat upon it. Crossing her legs, she made herself comfortable and looked very much like someone waiting for their flat tire to be fixed on the side of the road.

Molly smirked but shook her head at her friend. Biting her lip, she looked again at the back of their cart and snuck around the side. Popping her head around to the back, she was disappointed to find it vacant. Tucker sniffed the ground at her feet, and Molly watched him in interest. She pat his head as she whispered to him. "You smell somebody, boy? Who is it?"

Tucker snorted. Snuffling across the ground, Tucker nearly cracked his head against the wagon as he shoved himself underneath. There was a squeak that most assuredly wasn't from him, and his tail started going haywire.

"Whoa, whoa!" Molly scolded, pulling her dog back. Once Tucker was out of the way, out scrambled two, disheveled children with terrified faces. The boy sprung out first, diving around to make way for his friend. The girl was the same one Molly had spied at the barn earlier, now crawling out from underneath her cart on all fours. "What are you guys doing under there? It could be dangerous!"

"I _told_ you…" the little girl mumbled, mostly to herself as she wound about the side of the wagon to join her friend whose head was poking up curiously at Molly from over the side.

"Well, no harm done," Molly assured the kids, looking between their eyes with fondness for their sneakiness. She hummed happily to herself, quite proud she had spotted them, and she hadn't just been seeing things. Molly broke from her reverie when she noticed they were warily watching Tucker as he wiggled in excitement to meet them. She held his lead close and shook her head at the kids. "Oh, no, no, no – don't be afraid of Tucker! He doesn't bite. He's super friendly; I promise. Go ahead and say hello!"

The little boy gave the girl a skeptical look before emerging with his hand out. He slowly approached the Pyrenees, holding his palm forward with practice. Tucker sniffed it and gave it a lick, eliciting a smile from the boy as he gently pat the dog's head.

"See? Nobody's gonna bite," Molly smiled as the girl, too, came forward to give it a go.

As they both quietly scratched the content Tucker, the boy scrunched up his nose and sniffed. He squinted up at Molly. "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Molly," she introduced herself, putting a hand to her heart. She pointed back at Luna who now had her chin in her palm as she was slumped over in boredom. "That's my friend Luna over there. We're in a band."

"You can play guitar and stuff?" The boy was staring at their cart full of instruments instead of addressing her directly.

"We sure can!" Molly decided to go with the 'royal we' in lieu of telling them she herself couldn't play any instrument for squat. Unless they counted vocal chords, but she highly doubted it.

"Stu…" the girl whispered, tugging on the boy's coat hem. He swatted at her. This angered her, and she grabbed his arm. "We can't…!"

"Aw, shut up, May! They ain't strangers! Zack's talkin' to 'em!" Stu snapped rudely at the girl in his frustration. She shrunk slightly at his words, but they were both still huffy with one another.

Molly laughed it off with a wave. "Yeah, we've been introduced now, so we're not strangers anymore! But what do you say you go ask permission first, okay? Then if it's alright with some grown-ups, you guys can come right back, and I'll show you all of the stuff in the cart."

The bribe was a tempting one. The children looked between each other before Stu grabbed May's arm and tried to run off with her. "C'mon, May! Let's go ask Elli!"

"No, we should ask Grandpa!" May wrenched her arm free, pointing back towards her ranch. Zack and Chase had the horses ready to go and were walking across the square with them in the same direction.

"Yeah! Your grandpa would let us! Elli's always got her skirt in a twist," Stu agreed with a nod. The children took off across the square towards the guys, the boy calling back over his shoulder. "Wait right there, Molly!"

"I'll be here!" Molly waved them off with a bright grin. She watched as they bombarded her boyfriend, and May took the reins from him, leading the horse in his stead. She could hear Zack's voice from where she stood, telling Chase he was off the hook.

Chase let it happen and slumped his shoulders, stalking back over towards Molly. Tucker gave him a greeting sniff while he passed to go join Luna in her sour seat. But first he stopped dead in his tracks and spun on his heel. He marched back towards Molly without a word, unzipped his jacket all of the way and unwound the scarf from around his neck. He muttered something about 'save your throat' and 'don't need it anyways' as he sloppily tied it about her neck. He stomped over and sat a fair distance from Luna on the wall, crossing his arms in a similar manner.

"This doesn't look girly, Chase!" Molly said, leading Tucker over to them and already taking off the scarf.

"Keep it!" He retorted.

Molly just rolled her eyes and sat down beside him. The rock was cold, and she shivered as she propped up her knees. "Everyone's in such a bad mood today…"

"Your gender wasn't questioned," Chase grunted with a 'tch' spat in no particular direction.

Molly leaned towards Luna, waiting for her to look her way. She was busy fiddling with something on her wrist, but she felt Molly's eyes on her after a few moments. Luna gave her a standoffish look. "What?"

"You're so far away," Molly pouted. She patted the brick next to her. "Come oooon…"

"I'm just hungry," Luna shrugged, not making any motion to move. She looked to her left away from the pair, pretending to be interested in the buds dotting the branches over their heads.

Molly jutted out her lip, but her concern was genuine. With a little sigh, she gave up and kicked her legs down, spreading her palms out on either side of her. Tucker sat between her and Chase, watching the road where the kids disappeared.

"Hey."

Molly turned her head and found Chase him-hawing as he chewed his lip. He coughed into his fist. "This is a… an old town. Did you want to do some sight-seeing? Later, maybe?"

Luna made a barfing sound that Molly ignored. She felt her face grow warm at the prospect. _He was asking her on a date! Like, a real date!_ Molly quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to!"

The trio could hear the thumping before they spotted it. Thinking it was their friends back from the inn, they checked the wrong way first until Molly guessed and found May and Stu running as fast as they could back across the square. May trailed slightly, having to sprint with her thick dress kicking up around her ankles, so Stu got to the wagon first. He launched himself against it, catching the end and leaning forward to come to a stop. Puffing and panting, he told the news to her first. "Her grandpa said okay! You promised!"

Her peers giving her weird looks, Molly smiled as she jumped up from her seat with a nod. She tossed the leash to Chase who scrambled to grab it before Tucker could get away from him. "That I did! Come on, let's check it out!"

Molly ran to the cart as May finally caught up and stopped beside Stu. The kids stood on either side of Molly as she bent over and pulled their luggage out of the way to get to the instruments. They craned their necks to see as she cleared the way.

"Ta-da!" She sang. May and Stu crowded their heads together, their feet hanging off of the ground as they propped themselves up on the cart to see.

Stu immediately reached, and with Molly's help, grabbed Kathy's guitar case. It was her old acoustic, and it was going about as unused as Chase's – making everyone wonder why they brought them in the first place. He opened the clasps, and Molly lifted the lid. Both of the kids took in a breath at the sight of the shiny, wooden polish.

"You guys can play these?" Stu asked, running his hand down the strings. It gave off a cacophony of messy vibrations.

"Yeah!" Molly nodded.

"All of these?" He leaned again and tapped the side of the bass drum. He rubbed his runny nose on his sleeve.

"Mhm!" She proudly affirmed again.

"At once?" Stu pried.

"Yes!" Molly told him excitedly.

"No!" He replied with the same enthusiasm, jumping up and down against the wagon.

She laughed and ruffled his cropped off dark hair. "You're pulling my leg, kid."

"Pastor Carter plays the organ," May informed, still keeping her distance from touching anything and wringing her hands. When she saw Molly looking at her, she lowered her eyes to her shoes.

"He sounds very talented," Molly said attentively.

Stu pushed the guitar case her way, lightly hitting her elbow. "Here! Can ya play us somethin?'"

Molly owlishly peered at it, wondering how she was going to dodge this one. "Hm, I don't know… We're going to play for everyone tomorrow – what if you wait and see us then?"

"Aw!" Stu whined, bouncing on the cart again.

"It's Mayor's orders!" Molly sadly shook her head and dramatically shrugged with her hands held out in surrender. With a heavy sigh, she went to rejoin her friends on the makeshift bench. "There's nothing I can do."

"But I wanna hear it now!" Stu followed her as she sat down. He completely ignored the presence of Luna and Chase as he jumped up and stood on top of the wall and looked down at Molly. "C'mon!"

"I-I wanna hear a song, too!" May piped up. She meandered her way over, giving Luna a wary glance as she gingerly took a seat next to Molly. She tucked her legs up underneath her warm skirt, kneeling a little uncomfortably against the bricks.

"Hm… I'll have to think about it," Molly decided with a finger to her chin and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She turned to May, always the person to gravitate to the quiet ones. "You're May, right?"

"Mhm…" May nodded with a little smile, glad she had picked it up.

"I'm Stu!" Stu volunteered, kicking around in the frozen mulch behind them. He jumped up to grab a tree branch, bowing it down as he hung off of it just a few inches from the ground.

"Aha, you guys sure are full of energy. What do you even do when it's so cold out?" She struck up conversation, trying to look between the two but finding it difficult to swivel her head back and forth quick enough.

May grumbled a little. "Well, we sit inside a lot… but I like to draw pictures."

"You do? You should bring some tomorrow – I love art," Molly smiled.

"Elli makes me read books," Stu called, swinging his legs up. He couldn't quite make it, so his leg awkwardly hung in the air as he tried to pull himself up on the thin branch.

"Elli's his big sister," May whispered to Molly like it was secret. Molly formed a little 'o' with her mouth in understanding.

"Well, I bet you can't wait for it to get warm, huh?" She prompted again.

"Yeah! Then we can do whatever we want!" Stu hollered a decibel too loud, sniffling his nose again.

"We can't do whatever we want! Pastor Carter has to be there, too," May corrected him with authority. "Plus also, we can't do anything dangerous. But we can play around church. That's when Pastor Carter sometimes plays organ for us."

"Sounds like fun!" She chuckled. Since they had kept to themselves, Molly indicated the aloof pair they were sitting between. "These are my friends in the band, so they know how all of those funny instruments work. What do you think, friends? Can we play them a song?"

"I think I see salvation," Luna said, hopping down and smoothing out her skirt. She carefully picked off a few wood chips clinging to her stockings before walking to meet up with the people rounding the corner.

Molly stuck out her tongue at her retreating back. She knew Luna wasn't very good around children, so her go-to maneuver was to avoid them. It wasn't a surprise, but Molly was still bummed she wasn't going to help give the kids a song. She looked down at May with a sad shrug of her shoulders. Molly didn't notice Chase watching her with interest.

"Can't you play us something, please?" May asked in her most polite voice, even folding her hands in her lap and everything.

"Hm… I don't know, you guys. I mostly just write the songs," Molly admitted, tapping her heels against the ground.

"If the mayor said you can't play anything until tomorrow, what if you played something new, so you can't get yelled at for spoiling?" Stu suggested, kicking his feet. His hands were preoccupied, so he had to sniffle double time.

Molly looked up at the sky, pursing her lips in thought. _This kid sure knows how to get around loopholes. Reminds me of someone… _she thought, her eyes skirting over to where Luna was now talking to Candace, Kathy, and Thomas."You want me to write you guys a song?"

May's eyes brightened in excitement. She clapped her mitten-ed fists together. "Yeah, make us a song!"

"Elli wouldn't believe it!" Stu chimed in, letting go of the branch. The action caused some of the melting snow to scatter down over Molly and May's heads, drizzling them in a light sprinkle of cold water.

Molly brushed off her sleeves and tucked her scarf closer into her coat collar. She hummed aloud in thought, finally sitting up straight with decision. Stu sat down on her opposite side, and both kids watched her in waiting. "Well… what do you guys want your song to be about?"

May and Stu exchanged a disbelieving smile. He was the first to answer, leaning towards Molly in delight. "Bugs! My song's gotta have bugs! I can catch any bug there is – and I have. I set traps and hide 'em where Elli'll find 'em—"

"Bugs…" Molly said doubtfully despite herself, interrupting what could have been hours of bug talk.

"Ice cream!" May joined in with her request, her eyes happily pinched shut. "I love ice cream!"

"A song about bugs and ice cream…" she said aloud, wondering how she got herself here. She let out a deep breath, eyes skipping between the trees across the plaza as she tried to form the words in her mind. She tried a melody in her head, whispered a bit of it with the kids straining to hear, and decided it would do the trick. "Alright! Let's try it out. I'm going to need help though, okay?"

"Okay! Yeah!" They chorused. Stu plopped down with his legs crossed, pulling his pants up over his scrawny, bare ankles. May mimicked Molly's posture, her hands hovering over her own lap.

"Just do this for me. Clap, clap, pat, pat. Got it?" Molly said, demonstrating her steady, four beat pattern. She did it a few times before May and Stu gave it a try. Two claps with their hands, two pats to their laps. She smiled when they had it down. "Great! Keep that up. Don't stop!"

May fumbled to remove her mittens and tried clapping again, this time clearer without the obstruction. Stu wiped his lip, throwing off the rhythm a bit, but they were in sync for the most part. Molly continued to clap and pat, thinking of where to begin. Since she was doing this for a couple of kids under ten, she couldn't help but feel a nursery rhyme melody tugging at the corners of her mind. Something simple and a little teasing.

She lightly sang:

"_Hey, everybody, look at me  
>Got the boy of my dreams sittin' next to me<br>The sun's so bright  
>It's just my day<br>He smiles so nice  
>Takes my breath away…"<em>

Though May appeared enthused, Stu was looking a bit doubtful. He was obviously waiting for his part to come up, but Molly was still working around that. She just focused on the rhythm and went for a limerick feeling, surprised she had gotten this far to begin with.

The scenery of Mineral Town was filling her mind, giving her more words to sing.

"_Hey, everybody, look at me  
>I've got a broken fence and a pasture green<br>There's nothing more  
>That I could need<br>Than a patch of grassy land  
>And the boy of my dreams…"<em>

Now in the swing of it, Molly found a chorus. An appropriate breeze swept by them and filled her with inspiration. May got distracted and had to focus on keeping up, mixing up her pats and claps.

"_So, come on, wind  
>Won't you take me away<br>Back to the days  
>Where I used to play<br>There's crickets in the night  
>And the water's clean<br>Won't you take me back  
>To that piece of me?"<em>

Molly mischievously eyed her musical companions as she got to the part they were waiting for. They were doing a great job thus far.

"_Hey, everybody, look at me  
>Climb the rocky hill and the old oak tree<br>Nothing can beat  
>Sweet ice cream<br>And there ain't no bug  
>That's too fast for me!"<em>

At the mention of ice cream, May laughed aloud. When Molly sang Stu's part, she dived him and gave his stomach a tickle, making the boy squeal in glee.

"_So, come on, wind  
>Won't you take me away<br>Back to the days  
>Where I used to play<br>There's crickets in the night  
>And the water's clean<br>Won't you take me back  
>To that piece of me?"<em>

Wrapping it up, Molly felt a little sorrowful as the song came to an end. Nostalgic. A little longing. Like this plea to the wind was coming from deep down within her own heart.

"_Oh, take me back  
>Where I want to be…<em>

_Take me back  
>To the boy of my dreams…"<em>

Molly gave her lap a final pat and finished. May and Stu applauded her, and she gave a mock bow. They were already jumping her to make more requests for songs about maple syrup and crayons and their favorite clubhouse they built out of sticks on the church grounds – Molly laughing all the while as she stubbornly stood by giving them only _one_ song.

Chase was still vacantly staring at Molly, looking a little zoned. He didn't notice Kathy approaching him until she lightly pushed his shoulder, swaying him. He visibly jumped and gaped up at her in surprise. His slackened hold on Tucker's leash tightened again.

"I hope you wrote that down," she commented with a sly grin, beckoning her head towards the brunette.

He turned back to her, watching as Molly now had May's braids pinned to the top of her head with a finger, laughing about something Stu was jabbering about as he held his leg up behind him by the ankle. Molly really _could_ make friends wherever she went. And apparently, songs, too. It was remarkable.

All Chase had to say in reply was: "I'm going to."

* * *

><p>Doug's Bar &amp; Inn turned out to be a hopping place. As the weather wasn't a blizzard and a major holiday was coming up, quite a few tourists were roaming about the place in wait for the festivities to take place in historic Mineral Town the following day.<p>

Luckily for the girls and Chase, they were given a sizable room with three beds and a bath. Now that Molly and Chase weren't being sticklers about their relationship anymore, it was immediately decided amongst their friends that Kathy was getting her own bed, and if they had any arguments, they could promptly stuff it.

With all of their things dumped or unpacked depending on the owner, the group agreed to forfeit the chump change for a hefty dinner. A cute girl behind the counter promised them one of the 'daily specials' each if they'd find a seat and zipped back into the kitchen as her father served the crowds of people packing the tables.

Sitting at their own table in the corner, Molly pulled up an extra chair and took a seat between Chase and Candace. The pigtailed girl was looking quite reclusive again, so Molly gave her arm a poke. "Hey, you get to sight-see with Mayor Thomas today? Is that what took you guys so long?"

"Nah, we had to wait while they worked us into our room," Kathy answered for her, stretching her arms up over her head. She listlessly watched the kitchen door with Luna, both feeling a little out of it on their lack of a hot meal.

"Aw, at least we've got all day tomorrow!" Molly grinned happily. She gave Candace a more perceptive glance, tilting her head slightly. "You seem to really like it here."

"It's so… quiet," Candace smiled warmly. She looked about the room her back was to, giving a timid shrug. "Or, well, it was…"

"It is a quiet, little town… I like it, too," Molly said, propping her elbows up on the table and cradling her chin in her palms.

"Sorry about the wait, folks!" The ginger reappeared with a steaming tray positioned precariously over Luna's head. She began dishing out the plates to the crew circled around. Chase and Kathy moved the glasses of water and salt and pepper shakers to make room for the hot plates.

"No wait at all! Wow, you guys are fast!" Molly chirped, hungrily looking over her dinner and taking in a good whiff.

"Haha, it takes practice!" She replied with a chuckle. With the empty tray propped against her waist, she gave them a salute. "Just holler if you need somethin' – enjoy!"

"Thanks!" The girls politely chorused.

Molly rubbed her hands together in anticipation. She let out a happy sigh. "So! What is it?"

"I think it's chicken and dumplings," Chase reported, poking the grey mass with his fork. As a culinary artist, he couldn't say much for the presentation.

"Whatever it is, it's delicious," Luna said, already with her mouth full and chewing. She took a drink of cold water and focused on her dish, already nearing the finish line as her worried sister warned her to slow down lest she choke.

"Holy biscuits; you're right," Kathy held a hand over her lips as she spoke through her own mouthful.

Molly and Candace dug in, and Chase took a skeptical bite. It wasn't long before all five of them were raving over the chicken and dumplings and shoveling it down.

"Oh my God, what did they cook this in – the Holy Grail?" Chase stared down in flabbergasted fascination at the shapeless food.

"Right?!" Molly agreed, unable to say more as she stuffed her face.

"I might need seconds…" Candace mumbled between bites.

"Someone stop me before I lick my plate," Kathy warned – the threat all too real with the way she was staring at the leftover gravy.

The waitress reappeared to take their finished dishes, looking a little shocked to see that they had cleaned it up. "Wow, done already?"

"What is your name?" Molly lunged forward, taking up her hand before she could clear her place setting.

The girl was hesitant. "Uh… Ann?"

"Marry me," Chase declared his proposal.

"Hey, I was going to ask her first!" Molly griped at him.

Ann simply giggled as her hand was released. She twirled the end of her long, ponytail braid between her fingers as she looked over the group. "Gee, you guys must've really liked your dinner! Unless you do things differently back where you're from."

That got a laugh out of Kathy, but it was Luna's turn to step in. She folded her fingers beneath her chin, staring up at Ann with eyes full of reverence. "Look, I don't give compliments easy. That was the best meal I've ever had."

"Holy cow, you guys were hungry," Ann was taken aback a bit, feeling a little shyer at the copious praise.

"Seriously, how'd you learn to cook like that?" Chase asked, leaning forward curiously. Molly couldn't help but enjoy how happy he was, glad to be with him for the experience. "I'm a chef myself, so it's really great to have something blow me away like that."

"Ah…" Ann was at a loss for words. The place was still busy, so her duties were prickling at the back of her mind, but she gave him an honest answer. "I… Well, the recipe was my mama's. I'm glad you liked it so much."

"That's so special," Molly added, toning down her usual bubbliness to a simple, sweet smile. "You're very talented."

"Thank you!" Ann gasped out a laugh, holding her fingers to her quivering lips.

"And we are _so_ coming back to Mineral Town," Luna decided for them all, lightening the mood as well.

The group laughed, and Ann got back on track. Her chest swelling with pride, she loaded her tray with their empty plates and gave them one last shot. "Would anyone like dessert tonight? The cheesecake is a house favorite!"

"Do you make it?" Kathy asked.

"Yup!" Ann proudly nodded.

"We'll take five!" Molly ordered like she was buying a round of beers, her hand in the air. No one argued her, and Ann went merrily back to the kitchen to fetch the cheesecake – another one of her mother's recipes.

By the time the girls were scaling the stairs, they were sluggish and filled to the brim. Exhausted after their long day, their only focus was sleep and getting it as soon as possible.

"I can't move…" Luna whined, being supported by Kathy as they made the last step.

"Carry me?" Molly held her arms out to Chase, using the same pathetic voice Luna was. Though she was tired and feeling drawn out like everyone else, she was glad her friends were all back in high spirits again. Or rather, they were high until they hit food coma.

"Carry _me_," he retorted, sore shoulders slumped as far as could be as he plodded up the wooden stairs. "I haven't eaten that much since my birthday."

"Oh, I remember that…" Candace reminisced. Though she had eaten the same amount as everyone else, she wasn't much worse for wear. Perhaps she was better at packing it away. "Molly insisted on making all of your favorite foods."

"Orange cake, orange cookies, orange pie, _marmalade_ – you didn't eat anything orange after that for a month," Kathy chuckled at the dark time for him. Molly's intentions were in the right place, but she had failed miserably and had almost gotten the poor guy sick on his favorite flavor.

"Don't remind me," Chase held a hand over his mouth at the nauseous memory.

"Alright, alright, who's got the key?" Molly asked, pressing her head against the wall by the fourth door down.

"Oh, _no!"_ Luna wailed, nearly falling out of Kathy's hold to the floor.

"What? You didn't lose the key, did you?" Chase asked, his panic waking him up.

"No, I didn't call Gramma! And the only phone's downstairs… ugh!" She groaned, throwing a hand over her eyes.

"I can call her, Luna," Candace insisted with a concerned frown.

"I'll go with you," she compromised with a huff sent to her bangs. Candace made her way back down the hall, and Luna wriggled away from Kathy. To the others, she said: "If I don't interrupt, they'll go on and on and on for hours. You'd never guess, but Candace is such a _chatterbox_ with Gramma!"

"That's cute!" Molly cooed, holding her hands over her heart.

Luna rolled her eyes, waving them off. She whined a good deal again before charging down the stairs after her big sister, disappearing down the banister to the lit bar room.

Kathy pulled the key out of her pocket and fit it in the lock, giving it a turn. The door swung open, and Chase stepped in first. Tucker happily barked and licked his hands in hello, his own food bowl of dinner empty since they left.

"Hey," Molly stopped Kathy by the arm before she could go. Chase went to the bathroom with his pajamas and slammed the door, leaving the two in virtual privacy.

"What?" Kathy asked, suspiciously looking up and down the hall. She could tell Molly had something serious to say.

"If the only phone's downstairs, did you want to go with them and wait?" Molly asked, a confused wrinkle in her brow.

Kathy mirrored the look, only hers was more annoyed. "Huh? What for?"

Molly blinked, her expression loosening. "Well, don't you want to give Owen a call? Tell him where you are?"

The blonde let out an amused huff, looking a little baffled. She let go of the door knob and crossed her arms. "It's not like I have to _report_ to him, Molly…"

"But… why? If we're going to be out of town for New Year's, you should let him know! He probably wanted to do something, and now you'll have to cancel…" Molly persisted, feeling increasingly guilty now that she was saying it out loud. When it came right down to it, the band was Molly's idea, so it was her fault that they were in Mineral Town in the first place. Despite everyone agreeing it was a good plan, she couldn't help but feel the brunt of the responsibility for the consequences. And the last thing Molly wanted to do was put a strain on Kathy's relationship when her best friend was there with her every step of the way, supporting her left and right when it came to Chase.

"He won't," Kathy rolled her eyes, growing testier. Molly's wishy-washy way of skirting the subject was pissing her off. Fiddling with her dangling earring, she suddenly paused.

"Well, you don't really know that unless you call him!" Molly cheerily deduced, taking up Kathy's arm by the wrist and playfully pulling her towards the stairs.

"No!" Kathy jerked her hand free like she had touched a hot stove. Molly's hurt expression made her hesitate, but she glared, clenching her fist. "I said I didn't want to, okay? So… just drop it."

"Kathy…?" Molly suspicions hit peak as she looked between her friend's troubled green eyes. Something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

"Just _drop_ it!" She shouted. At a loss for where to go, Kathy decided the room wasn't an option anymore and stomped for the stairs. She took them down two at a time, flying out of sight into the happy atmosphere of the restaurant.

Molly looked after her friend in worry with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Kathy hadn't ever bottled anything up from her. Not that she thought. But then again… she kept Chase's secret all of these years. What else was she hiding?

She wanted more than anything to go after her and get to the bottom of things, but for the first time… Molly knew Kathy needed space away from her. And she was feeling hurt anyways, so that's what she would give her. Deciding to keep the confrontation to herself for Kathy's sake, Molly steeled her nerves and entered their room, leaving the door slightly ajar.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, Accidentally The Whole Fanfic, Dusk Clark, XxBlue and CrimsonxX, KennieBarnes, and Mikari Star! And thanks for that catch; I'm afraid this chapter might be a bit rougher than the last, but I hope I proofread carefully enough this time. Also, yes! I write all of the songs. I know they're crazy cheesy, but I think it kind of fits Molly's silly image. I hope anyways. Thanks! I'm glad you can catch a tune in them. :D

Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One<strong>

* * *

><p>Molly's second night sleeping in the same bed as Chase wasn't nearly as ideal as the first. She woke up in a fog, rubbing at some dried drool on the corner of her lip. When she finally pulled herself up, she found Chase's arm draped across her stomach, and his face was deep in the pillows beside her. Molly half-wondered how he was still breathing with his head stuck like that, but she could hear his muffled snoring.<p>

She rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms, letting out a silent yawn. Quiet as a mouse, Molly rolled out of his grasp and set her feet on the cool floor. In the bed immediately across from her, Kathy's tangled mass of goldilocks curls spilled over the white pillows in a confusing heap. She was hugging a pillow and facing the wall. Their argument from the previous night rushed through her mind, and she realized she had fallen asleep before Kathy had come back.

With a little sigh, Molly decided to let it be for the time and let her cool off. Kathy would talk if she wanted to talk. Molly just had to trust she was really as okay as she insisted.

Molly stood and reached for the ceiling, tiptoeing around the bed and past where Luna and Candace were still sleeping. Luna's arms were curled up under her chin, and Candace was balled up with her head to her sister's back, one foot hanging out from the covers.

"Eee…!" Molly muffled her surprise with a hand clamped over her mouth. Though she was careful to watch her friends for signs of waking, she hadn't paid any attention to her feet, and she nearly wandered onto Tucker's tail. She skirted about the fluffy mass dreaming all stretched out on the floorboards and finally made it to the bathroom, locking the door with a click.

After a quick shower, Molly stepped out of the old-fashioned amenities with a towel wrapped tightly about her torso. Getting the water running hadn't been much of a problem, but waiting for it to get hot was an impossible feat. She settled on lukewarm and rushed it, but now that she was finished sudsing up and rinsing off, she couldn't quite figure out the mechanism to get it to stop. She turned the left handle around all of the way, but that only shot icy cold water down on her arms, feeling like it was made straight from snow. Molly recoiled and continued to fiddle with the tap, turning the twin knobs every which way until they balanced out, and the water dripped to an end. _So maybe rustic towns weren't so great all of the time…_

Feeling a bit like a puzzle master, Molly went to the mirror and took up the hand towel, rubbing a patch of the steam away. She smiled at herself once it was clear enough, and she looked between her eyes. Molly remembered staring at Kathy, the reflection of her angry green irises flitting through her memory and putting a worried twist in Molly's lips. Shaking her head, she determined to drop it like she was told. Kathy didn't want to talk. She couldn't force her. But it _really_ bothered her!

"Just be there…" Molly told herself, being stern despite her hushed tone. She wanted to do more for her. Not be a bystander. But Kathy asked for space. She had to respect that, no matter how difficult it was to swallow. Molly let out a sigh and leaned away from the counter. Grabbing her makeup bag, she wearily smiled. "Besides, we have a big day today… Can't mess it up."

A few minutes later, Molly slowly turned the door knob and peeked into the bedroom. It was still as a tomb but for Chase fidgeting in his sleep. Tucker heard her though, seemingly waiting for her to get out of the bathroom as he whipped his head towards her. His tail beat the ground, so Molly quickly squatted down beside him and massaged the soft fur behind his ears in good morning to make him quiet.

"You want to go out? Come on, buddy," Molly whispered, pulling his collar around to find the silver ring. Tucker got to his feet when he saw her grab his familiar red leash from the table and clip it to him. He bowed forward, and flexed his paws. His tongue stiffened as he let out a noisy yawn that Molly was hurry to shush. "Sh, sh, sh! Come on, Tuck. Let's go!"

Molly led Tucker to the door and slowly swung it open. She turned back around to close it and found Luna's bleary eyes watching her. She gave her a little wave and silently shut the door, letting out a sigh now that they were safely in the hall.

Skipping down the stairs, Molly held Tucker close to her side as the room grew steadily noisier with their descent. The restaurant was hopping once again, full of tourists and locals looking for a traditional breakfast. Molly had her dog, so she knew she couldn't linger for long, but the smells of warm cinnamon buns and scrambled eggs were awfully tempting. Deciding she'd have to come back when her friends were all up, she slipped out the door and into the fresh, morning air.

She was greeted by the sound of birds singing overhead. The snow had melted even more over the course of the night, making Molly believe that spring was just around the corner at long last. It hadn't really been a snow heavy winter back home, but she wondered what her farmhouse looked like since they had been gone. Maybe the coast out west was getting more flurries. Or maybe the first tulips were on the way.

Tucker gave her arm a tug, and she let him lead the way towards the square. Molly winced as he stopped to mark his territory on a lamppost, furtively looking left and right to see if she'd get ticketed for his rudeness. She glared down at the self-satisfied Pyrenees. "You really don't have any manners, do you? Neil was right. I've got to whip you into shape!"

Molly pretended she was the leader the rest of the way to the square, attempting to walk in step with Tucker. He only took it as a challenge and tried to set them at a jog. It left Molly a bit breathless as they turned the corner and found quite a few villagers setting up their festival.

"Wow!" Molly laughed aloud, quickly getting both herself and Tucker out of the way as Zack and another muscular fellow swept by lugging a massive beam over their shoulders. Above her head was a homemade banner reading: 'Happy New Year!' She dodged between the people setting up booths across the cobblestones and emerged in a clear area where a short stage was assembled on cinderblocks. Upon it was Mayor Thomas. "Mayor! Good morning!"

"Eh, wuzzat?" He nearly bumped his noggin as he rose above the podium with wires knotted in his fists. Thomas smiled when he saw her. "Ah, good morning, Molly! I hope you all are well rested?"

"Yeah! We're raring to go," she giggled enthusiastically, holding Tucker's leash as tight as could be as he hovered on his hind legs to sniff at the stage out of his reach. "Things are really pulling together around here. It looks great! When should we start setting up?"

"Oh, well, thank you!" Thomas said appreciatively, finally giving up on the cords and dropping them to his feet. He spotted someone he recognized walking by without his hands full and flagged him down. "Hello, there! Gray! Oh, Gray! Would you sort the microphone out for me? Thank you!"

Without a chance to refuse, the ginger boy he roped into working gave him a testy grumble but jumped onto the stage as Mayor Thomas leapt down. Even though he appeared to be a working man with his tan jumpsuit, it was clear he didn't know much about electronics by the look on his face. The poor boy scratched at his ball cap as he sighed over the mess the mayor left behind.

Thomas slung an arm around Molly, giving Tucker a dainty pat on the head. "I want to make sure you and your little friends don't have to worry about a thing tonight other than bringing the house down, haha! Can you do that for me?"

"Of course!" She replied, a little concerned she was being put in a corner.

"Splendid!" Thomas clapped his hands. He gave her head a pat in turn, making her blink in astonishment. "Then we'll have your instruments brought over, and you can set them up when you're good and ready. How much time will you need?"

"Oh, it'll take about a half an hour, I'd say…" Molly guessed, making up the numbers off of the top of her head.

"Then you have all day to do so! This little stand here is all yours," Thomas indicated the stage. He put a hand to his chin as he looked it over. "I'll need the podium to begin the events and make all of the announcements and whatnot. It won't be in the way, I hope?"

Molly shook her head. Even though it was dead center, she couldn't think of a reason why that would be a problem. Except maybe blocking out Luna's drum set. She shook her head. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. It's on wheels, yeah?"

"Oh! Look at that. So it is," the mayor laughed. It was apparent he was a bit scatter-brained. Lots to do and oversee. He put his hands on his hips with authority. "Now! Let's have your things brought over at once – now who can carry all of that heavy stuff? Gray! Oh, Gray!"

"Huh?!" Gray's head popped up in response, and he smacked it on the podium. He growled and held his head, looking worse for wear for any favors.

"Th-that's not necessary!" Molly intervened with a nervous smile. She proudly puffed up her chest, determined to surprise her friends all on her own. "I can do it! Besides, I know how all of the amps are set, so it only makes sense that I get things ready."

"Er… well…" his hospitality wavering at her beaming confidence, Thomas floundered for something to say. He turned and pointed at the girl's wagon that was parked beside the stage. "I suppose it's not a very far walk…"

"Great! Thanks!" Molly gave him a salute and jogged to the cart. She examined its contents and the leash in her hand. Tucker looked back up at her, tail wagging a little skeptically.

Molly tapped her chin and bent down, crawling partially underneath the wagon. There she tied the end of Tucker's leash, getting back up and clapping her hands free of dirt. She ruffled the Pyrenees' ears and pulled the afghan aside to get to the instruments. Tucker waited patiently, seeming a bit shyer than usual. He loved to meet new people, but he was a bit nervous surrounded by such a bustle. He was content to pant away the stress, sitting up straight next to the wagon wheel.

"Whoop!" Molly squeaked, her spine leaning precariously back as she hefted up one of the heavy amps in her arms.

"M-Molly, allow me!" Thomas hurried forward to help, but the girl spun on her heel with another reassuring smile sent his way.

"I've got it! Haha, heavier than I thought!" Molly blew at her bangs as she lugged the heavy box over to the stage and nearly threw it down, rattling the podium where Gray was still cursing at wires.

"Are you quite sure you're okay on your own here?" Thomas persisted, following Molly back to the cart where she grabbed an armful of cords and the mic stand.

"You bet! Piece of cake," she winked, sidestepping him and unloading more of their gear.

Mayor Thomas shook his head, resting his hands on his hips. "Ah… quite independent. Very sporting of you, dear! If you need any help, just holler for Gray. He'd love to lend a hand."

Molly doubted this very much, but she appreciated the sentiment. She waved as the mayor was called away to oversee another endeavor across the busy plaza. Molly rolled up her sleeves and pulled the bass drum her way. She managed to clamber it off of the back of the cart and began rolling it steadily towards the stage, Tucker watching her pass left and right and back again on her trips to and fro.

With all of the trouble her friends had to endure at her expense, Molly was resolved to give them a good surprise for once. She could already imagine the looks on their faces when they'd see the stage all set up and ready to go for them! Tonight was going to be the best night ever, and Molly was going to be front and center to make sure of it.

* * *

><p>Candace was a bit anxious as she followed after her sister into the busy dining room. They had left Chase and Kathy to sleep in, and since Molly was already up and about, they hoped to meet her for breakfast in the restaurant. Unfortunately, as Candace clomped down the last step in her clogs, she realized that wasn't going to happen. Molly wasn't anywhere in sight.<p>

"What should we do…?" Candace whispered, tugging on Luna's sleeve for her attention.

Luna yawned, stretching her interwoven fingers out in front of her. "Hm… Dunno. I'm starving. Let's just get something to eat and see what happens."

"But…" Candace was conflicted as she plopped down in a chair next to her sister, her fingers inching along the rim of the wooden table in front of her. "Maybe we should wait…"

"Molly's already ate and skipped out – probably running circles around town with Tucker," Luna waved off her sister's worries with a limp hand. She stifled another yawn as she propped her elbows up on the table. "And we'll be here all day if we wait for Kathy and Chase to wake up."

Candace giggled, biting at her lip. "Well, that's probably true…"

"Great!" Luna patted her sister's arm. She stared up at the blackboard menu hanging behind the counter with the day's breakfast menu. "Ooo! Let's get cinnamon rolls! I love warm cinnamon rolls."

"As long as you drink some vegetable juice to balance it out…" Candace said, figuring she'd order some tea and toast for herself when Ann had the chance to come by.

"Vegetable juice? Blech!" Luna stuck out her tongue in disgust. Candace gave her an admonishing look, and she huffed in return. "You slave driver…"

Before Ann approached them, another duo caught sight of the sisters and made their way across the room. Candace shyly peered up, tapping Luna's lap to get her attention. Luna turned and found a couple of girls standing before them. "Uh, hi."

"Morning!" The first girl waved energetically, her cherry red cheeks cradling the sweetest, most genuinely saccharine smile Luna had ever seen on a person. The second thing she noticed was that her fashion was outdated. A massive skirt with a black bodice and white shawl for the cold weather. Was she going to a Ren fair? "My name's Popuri! Are you from the band the Mayor told us about?"

"M-Mayor Thomas… said something about us?" Candace piped up, looking to her sister for answers. He must've been quite a busy guy if people knew about them already. Or Mineral Town was exceptionally small. Probably a little of both.

The second girl nodded her head, bowing politely with her hands folded. "My name is Mary. I run the library here in town. Mayor Thomas mentioned that you'd like a tour? We'd be more than happy to show you around today, if you'd like."

"I-I!" Candace couldn't decide if she was flattered or terrified at the offer. All she could do was stutter and turn crimson.

Luna put herself forward for her sister's sake. Even though she wasn't interested in tourist traps, she'd swallow her complaints for Candace. She really seemed to like it here. Might as well humor her. Luna rapped the table. "Yeah, yeah, we're half the band. Come on and sit down; you're breaking my neck."

Mary scrambled for a seat, looking much like a spooked rabbit as she settled in. Popuri happily took a chair and scooted forward as far as she could. She unwrapped the knit shawl from around her shoulders and tossed it over the back of an empty seat. "It's nice to meet you! We don't get travelers much – except on big holidays like today!"

"I'm Luna. Candace," Luna did the honors, pointing to herself and Candace beside her with a wry grin.

"Pleasure," Mary bowed her head again, which was significantly more awkward at a table setting.

"Eee!" Popuri wriggled in her seat, bunching up her fists and ready to shoot from her chair in delight. "I'm just so happy to meet you guys! It feels like such a big deal to meet people our age. You've no _idea_. Most of the folks passing through are all old and manly and smell like cows, but you're both so girly and precious! Ooh, I love your cardigan – it's so soft."

Candace jumped when Popuri touched her sleeve, petting her arm like one might greet an alpaca. She smiled though when she said: "Th-thank you! I made it…"

"That's very impressive," Mary chimed in with a look of interest.

Luna was a bit floored at how nice everyone seemed to be in Mineral Town, but these two took the cake. She was surprised to feel like she was talking with old friends as she leaned forward. "We're seamstresses back home. What do you guys do around here?"

"I'm a chicken farmer," Popuri let Candace's arm go and bashfully tucked her fluffy pink hair behind her ear. "It's not very glamorous, but the little chickies are soooo cute~! Mary runs the library."

"It's not very big…" Mary down-played her job with a light shrug.

"Candace and I love to read – we'll have to check it out," Luna nodded. Maybe going on a tour wouldn't be so bad…

"Mary writes, too! Maybe she'll show you one of her books!" Popuri bounced up and down.

"You're a novelist?" Candace asked, blinking innocently at her.

Mary held her blushing cheeks. Her friend knew full well that she hadn't finished any manuscripts yet, but she was always so excited to tell people about them. "Oh, Popuri, I wish you wouldn't…!"

Popuri wove back around the subject with ease, balancing her chin in her palm. "You guys must love music though! What do you play?"

"Aw, can't you guess? But I suppose I don't look like the stereotypical drummer," Luna fluffed out her skirt with pride.

"No way!" Popuri gasped. She always wanted to try twirling the drumsticks around in her fingers like a pro. Maybe Luna'd let her give it a go later.

"I play the piano…" Candace provided, pulling at the loose stitching around her cardigan's weathered sleeve.

Mary titled her glasses up her nose. "That's interesting. I play the organ… but only sometimes at church."

"What kind of—?" Popuri's question was cut off as Ann appeared with her notepad and tray snugly tucked under her arm.

"Hey, girls! Making friends?" Ann teased, her freckled face looking mischievous as she looked around the table.

"Yes!" Popuri immediately thrust her hand in the air, quite startling both Candace and Mary. Her bright eyes twinkled with excitement as she regaled her story. "Thomas was making his rounds yesterday when I was at the library, and he was talking about how we were getting a band this year for the festival, and I thought 'oh, wow, real live music!' but they were only going to be here for a couple of days, and Thomas said they wanted to see all they could see, so I was like 'omigosh, I could totally show them around and meet them at the same time two stones one bird,' and now here we are! Can I get a glass of orange juice extra sweet?"

"Sure thing…" Ann chuckled, scribbling her order down. It seemed her childhood friend had already had at _least_ one cup of Joe of this morning, but everyone had a hard time saying no to Popuri.

"Don't you mean 'two birds, one stone?'" Mary quietly corrected. Candace nodded in agreement across from her, so her notion hadn't gone totally ignored.

"I'd like a cinnamon roll with… vegetable juice, oh fine," Luna conceded. She looked to her sister before she could get poked. "And what, tea and toast?" Candace sheepishly smiled and nodded in the affirmative. Luna turned back to Ann. "And tea and toast for her."

"Mmkay… Got it!" Ann made her notes and gave Mary a nudge. "Anything for you, Mar-bear?"

Mary shook her head, her lilting voice very eloquent in her response. "Oh, no, I'm quite alright, thank you."

"Super! I'll get breakfast out ASAP!" Ann twirled and headed for the kitchen, grabbing a few dirty plates from tables on her way back.

"Very busy around here this morning…" Mary observed, holding the frame of her glasses as she looked about the buzzing room.

"What's this about touring?" Luna reminded, looking to Popuri.

"Oh! Right!" Popuri sat up straight and folded her hands in her lap. "I'm glad we ran into you here. Actually, we were totally looking for you, but whatever. We thought… Okay, well, _I_ thought it would be fun to catch you first thing and see if you wanted to hang out until the festival tonight. There's so much we could do! But, oh, I wish it was summer. The beach is _the best_ in the summer."

"Hm… I'm up for it! What do you think, Candace?" Luna was finally gaining some of Popuri's momentum, itching to go out and have a look around the town and just have some fun for once.

At the back of her mind, a nagging voice was telling Candace they should talk with the girls first, but she didn't want to lose the opportunity. Besides, she couldn't imagine Molly or Chase would want to tag along since she was sure she had heard that they had plans today. The only person Candace was concerned about was Kathy, but she could sleep in through the afternoon. She'd hate to wake her up and leave the poor girl sleep-deprived for their performance tonight…

Candace slowly nodded. "You're both… very kind. I would love to see your town with you. If that's alright…"

"Of course it's alright!" Popuri chuckled. "Shy little thing, aren't you? Well, we're all going to be the bestest of friends by the festival tonight! Let's get going right after breakfast!"

"I'm excited, too," Mary giggled at her friend's enthusiasm. "This should be a lot of fun."

"I love making plans. And you two are great – I was worried we'd be stuck wandering around with nothing to do today," Luna allowed herself to open up a little with a laugh.

"Never fear; Popuri is here!" The pink-haired girl giggled again. They watched as Ann re-approached with their food, and they animatedly chatted all through their light meal, all anticipating an adventurous day.

* * *

><p>Kathy was the last to get up. She wasn't surprised to find the room empty as the clock in the corner told her it was nearing one in the afternoon. She shuffled her way to the bathroom and took a refreshing shower to get herself going.<p>

…_it's… not…_

She stared at the water gathering in swirls around her feet. Kathy had fiddled with the knobs for a good while before she gave up on getting any hot water. She couldn't figure out the ancient mechanism, but she didn't totally mind. The cold shower was invigorating. And a little numbing. Which is just what she needed.

…_don't want… to… you…_

Kathy sighed. She was just wasting water now. She spun the left knob all of the way around until the water came out in a trickle. In frustration, she turned the right knob back and forth until it jarred, and the water stopped.

She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, wringing out her hair before putting her clothes on. Kathy looked over the sloppy sweater she had chosen, wishing she had sweat pants to match. Instead, she squeezed into her jeans and combed out her hair in front of the mirror. She'd forgo the makeup for today. Or at least until tonight. She'd have to look her best for the festival.

"It's a holiday, isn't it…" it came out as a statement as she whispered to her reflection. Tossing her comb across the counter, she muttered 'typical' and left their room.

She took the stairs at a jog, arms winding into her winter jacket. The lunch crowd was moseying around the place, but she wasn't in the mood for a heavy meal. Kathy bought a sandwich at the counter and walked with it, holding it between her teeth as she did up her hair in the familiar comfort of a ponytail.

The weather was nicer than she expected, but it was still chilly enough for her to want to keep her jacket. She took in a deep breath as she finally took a bite out of her sandwich, keeping one hand in her pocket as she looked up and down the street. Kathy nearly jumped when she spotted Chase sitting on the bench just beside her.

Chase felt her gaze and looked up, glad to see someone he knew. He quickly stood with his hands in his coat pockets, his girly scarf wrapped around his neck up past his chin. His voice was muffled behind it. "Hey! You seen Molly?"

"No, I just got up," she answered after swallowing. Kathy's body was well-rested, but she still resisted the urge to yawn from her mental fatigue.

"I thought she'd be with you… And you haven't seen Tucker either?" Chase asked, sounding inexplicably worried.

His tone annoyed her, but Kathy had to tell herself it was just her attitude and not his worrywart questioning that was setting her off. She set her jaw as she focused on finishing her sandwich. "Nah, she probably took him for a walk. Or maybe she went to check on the instruments?"

"I was already at Yodel Ranch. I thought she'd go there, but the plaza's a zoo," he said, turning away and scuffing his shoe against the cobblestones.

"Then she's at the plaza," Kathy concluded. Chase lingered, and she resisted a sardonic snort. She should have figured he'd be such a space case. He was infamous for keeping to himself and avoiding crowds, so there was no way his social anxiety was going to let him wander about on his own through that mess. Though Kathy had always assumed it was the other way around, maybe Molly did quite a bit of looking out for Chase, too.

Kathy beckoned her head. "Come on. I was headin' that way."

Chase didn't say anything, but he quickly trailed after her as she walked down the street. She ate the last bit of crust and wondered at what kind of cheese was in the sandwich she had just eaten as she hadn't bothered to notice. But Chase wasn't going to let her be at peace for very long.

"You okay yet?" He asked, keeping his fair distance to avoid getting whacked for his curiosity.

"If one more person asks me that…" Kathy said in a low, threatening voice, staring up at the treetops surrounding them.

"It's because everyone knows something's up," Chase said, giving her a sideways glance. "You should talk to Molly… She's good about that."

"Uh-huh," Kathy mumbled. The sounds of the busy square were filling her ears, drowning out the seagulls she had heard up ahead towards the sea.

"Seriously. It's not good to bottle shit up. I would know," Chase's voice got quieter even though the noise doubled as they entered the square. Hearty smelling meat was being charred and sales stalls were nearly done setting up their booths with cute trinkets and souvenirs. Chase nearly ran into Kathy's back trying not to be separated from her, but he backed off just as fast. Kathy looked both ways and made a left. He hurried after her, trying not to look like he was running to match her taller stride. "Unless you can't say anything because Molly's the problem?"

"Could you not?!" Kathy fumed, but she cut the fuse before it could explode. With a deep breath, she calmed herself down and stared at the path leading out of the square towards the ocean. Kathy gave Chase a thin-lipped smile for the first time that day. "Look. I get it. I promise I'll talk to Molly later. Okay? Your girlfriend's over there."

"Okay…" Chase's doubt was evident, but he was distracted now following Kathy's line of sight. A small platform was set up as a low stage, and Molly was sitting there fiddling with the cords plugging into the bass guitar. He backed away from Kathy, giving her one last bit of advice. "You better! Your emotional constipation is distracting everybody."

Kathy growled, and Chase ran, dodging a woman with a trolley and hurrying to meet Molly who smiled up at him in greeting. Kathy rolled her eyes and left before she could be stopped, marching towards the beach.

Chase cleared his throat when he came to a stop in front of her. Molly's head sprung up at the sound, and a smile lit up her face. "Hey! What's up, buttercup?"

"Never again," he shook his head at the pet name.

"I already apologize!" She declared boldly, jumping up and trailing the cord with the mic back around the podium out of the way.

Chase watched her as she worked with lingering confusion. "What are you doing? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Molly set the mic in its place and turned the knob to adjust the stand's height. "Just setting up! What time is it?"

"Just past two," he answered after pulling up his sleeve to check his watch.

"Wow, that did _not_ take half an hour," she chuckled to herself. "But we can go do something right after I'm done! I'm just finishing up, so just… gimme a sec."

"Why are you doing this by yourself? We would've helped if you said something," he insisted, looking around suddenly. Concerned, Chase glared and asked: "Where's Tucker?"

"Oh, May and Stu came by and wanted to play, so I let them have him," Molly said, blinking rapidly as she tried to focus on twisting the knob back to tighten it in place.

Chase noticed the strange look and hopped up onto the stage. He pushed her fingers aside and quickly tightened the bolt himself. He peered into her face and the faraway look in her eyes. "Molly? Are you feeling okay? You look off."

"Oh, I'm… I'm fine…" she shook her head, escaping him and heading back towards the drum set. She checked the cymbal and found it was already as it should be. Molly rubbed her nose, looking lost. "Hm… maybe I picked up a cold from Stu…"

"You have a cold? Will you be able to sing?" Chase asked, watching as she swayed slightly.

Molly paused and slowly turned around. She continued to blink oddly, her pupils dilated. She frowned. "I just… I just feel… so…"

"Come on; you're sitting down. Right now," Chase fussed, forced to leap into action as Molly staggered forward.

"Chase?" Molly asked, her voice very small. She stared, making him feel anxious at the way her eyes weren't moving as they vacantly looked right past him. "I… I can't see you…"

"Molly?!" Chase yelled. She began to lean into him until all of her weight hit him at once, and he struggled to keep her up. Molly's eyes closed, and she drooped, taking him down with her as he kept her from free falling. Panicked, he tried to pick her up, but he couldn't. He just sat there, frantic and at a loss for what to do. Chase looked around at the people passing them by who began stopping at the strange sight. "Hey! H-help! Somebody help!"

A dull ringing centered somewhere deep in her ears. It was suddenly muted as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Candace's mouth fell open in awe. Her nose was full of the dusty scent of leafy pages detailing everything from whirlwind romances to plant guides. It was so quiet. So serene. She loved libraries.<p>

"Here we are!" Mary proudly announced, gauging the girls' reactions as she held open the door and they all tramped inside.

"Wow…" Luna spun in a slow circle. She let her jacket fall open as she removed her gloves. Candace was already surveying the titles on the shelves. "I wish Castanet had such a collection…"

"Luna! Look!" Candace's rare, excited voice called to her sister. Luna trekked across the room and squinted at the title she was pointing out on the shelf. Her eyes bugged in recognition as Candace smiled. "_Hippity Hoppity Rabbit!_ It was our favorite book when we were little. They have it!"

"Dad used to read it to us every night…" Luna quietly smiled at the memories.

"What a day!" Popuri let out a sigh as she hopped onto Mary's vacant stool around the counter. She tossed her shawl on the table and kicked her wet shoes. "Let's see… we hiked up Mother's Hill, visited my farm, went through the woods around Gotz's cabin, saw the church grounds…"

"Don't forget they met Officer Harris when he came running after he heard you screaming about that bee," Mary giggled lightly as she set her own folded coat next to Popuri's.

The girl laughed aloud. "Right! And we met Officer Harris! I guess we can always go to the beach next, but that could be fun at night. We could watch the sunrise of the New Year!"

"Ooh, that sounds lovely," Candace said, turning away from the bookshelves and going back to meet them.

"You'll have to show us around Harmonica Town now," Popuri firmly stated, putting her hands on her hips with mock authority. "You know, if we ever get out of this town."

"That would be so much fun!" Luna hurried over. She ran against the counter and stopped herself against it, kicking her legs up in the air behind her. "You could both sleep over at the tailor's and meet Gramma! And you'd have to try Yolanda's cooking and climb up the lighthouse!"

"And ring the haunted church bell…" Candace added with a hint of mystery. Popuri's eyes were saucers, but she was more scared than eager for that particular suggestion.

"I'm sure I could close the library for a few days…" Mary chuckled. Though she was quiet, Popuri had befriended her all of those years ago when they were children simply because that's what Popuri did best. She had never anticipated her friend would lead her to step out of her own shell, but she was glad that she had. Luna and Candace had so much in common with them, and there was so much to talk about.

They were already promising visits and party plans and letters to write as they locked up the library and meandered back down the streets. The girls were giggling with mirth for their impromptu friendship until they stopped short at a commotion coming up the path.

"Oh, dear…" Popuri's usual bubbly attitude was capped like a cork as a worried expression overcame her face.

Mary bit her lip as the small group hurried along the street to the clinic. "Looks like something happened… I hope no one's seriously injured."

Luna had knit her brow in concern at the party, and she turned to see a similar expression of fear on Candace's pallid face. The blood drained from her own as she found words. "I'd know that ugly red coat anywhere…!"

"Molly!" Candace gasped, spotting their friend being carried.

The girls broke into a run with Popuri and Mary hot behind them. Luna got there first, suspiciously eying the brawny man holding Molly bridal style. Though she was delirious, Molly was in and out of consciousness and she didn't appear to be physically harmed. The door was held open for them, and the man carried her in as she continuously repeated: "I'm fine… I'm fine…"

Luna found Chase amongst the strangers and latched onto him before he could disappear inside the building. "Chase! What happened!?"

Flustered but recognizing them in the chaos, Chase just shook his head. "I don't know. She just went down."

"I hope it's not serious!" Popuri interjected as Chase broke away and went into the clinic. The four girls exchanged frazzled looks before they, too, filed into the clinic to see what was going on.

* * *

><p>Maybe he was right. She had to quit brooding.<p>

The trees suddenly stopped, and sand was below her shoes. Kathy looked out over the expanse of greenish water and took in a deep breath of the brisk, salty air. She stepped out into the sunshine, realizing that she had been in the shade of Mineral Town's trees when she had assumed it was just cloudy. Clear blue sky welcomed her above, promising a beautiful, starry night ahead.

Kathy fell into the sand, bunching up her knees to her chest and shivering slightly. It was much colder out in the open, reminding her that winter wasn't quite done biting yet. Her hands that she had kept in her pockets were freed, and she looked at the round objects sitting in her palm.

"Hello, there!"

Her heart leapt up in surprise, and she re-pocketed her hands, stretching out her legs to appear casual. Kathy looked up and found a man some odd years ahead of her with dark hair and a dashing smile walking up the beach from her right. She pasted on a phony smile in greeting, hoping he was just passing through.

Instead, he stopped a good distance away and looked out at the sea. The wind whipped his hair every which way, making Kathy grateful she had put hers up before visiting the shoreline. Still, her bangs were giving her grief as they blocked out her eyes with every new, passing current.

"Here for the holidays?" He asked, nonchalantly striking up conversation as they were the only two around.

Kathy smirked. "You could say that."

Not quite feeling like shouting, he walked the rest of the way to meet her. He eyed a spot in the sand at her side. "May I?"

"No one's stoppin' ya," Kathy replied, running a hand over her head to tame her bangs.

He gingerly took a seat, primly straightening out the creases in his slacks. Kathy looked him over and wondered who on earth he could be. With his shiny shoes and checked sweater, he looked like he walked right out of a Christmas card. Since Mineral Town's tourists were more along the lines of travelling merchants and families, she wanted to peg him as a local but didn't want to take the gamble of voicing her suspicions out loud.

"Trent," he held out his hand to her.

Kathy took it and gave it a firm shake. "Kathy. I'm with the band. Don't know if you heard, but we're playing for the town tonight."

"I had! Pleasure to meet you, Kathy," Trent smiled. He made her feel a little bad about slouching since his posture was so perfect, but she didn't feel like mirroring it. "I'm looking forward to hearing you and your friends play at the festival."

"Lookin' forward to playing," she answered, bored already.

Trent hummed. They simultaneously watched a seagull swoop down overhead, flapping its wings as it landed in the water and bobbed like a buoy on the waves. He hummed again. "This is a good place to come and think. Reflect."

Kathy nodded in agreement. "Perhaps."

"I suppose that's why you've come here? If you don't mind my saying so, you look a bit out of sorts."

_What did I say? What did I say?! One more person…! I oughta knock him flat._

Kathy's inner hostility cooled in the presence of the stranger. He seemed to have a level head. Maybe she was ready to confide in someone, and it would be a good chance if she'd never see this person again. Just as long as things didn't get too embarrassing…

"To be honest," Kathy began, letting her legs fall flat as she propped herself up on her palms. "I do mind you sayin' so. But I've reached the point where I don't much care anymore. Good timing on your part, I guess. So was this all polite, or were you really askin' for an answer?"

"Hm…" Trent thought carefully about his reply, not wanting to hit any wrong buttons. "I'm not a psychologist, but I've always enjoyed listening. Do your worst."

Kathy couldn't help but smile at his friendly outlook. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not a long story or anything. Just… where do I go from here…?"

Trent waited with patience, venturing a guess. The seagull stuck its tail feathers in the air as it looked below the surface. "Perhaps you haven't found the right path?"

"Spare me my dignity – lemme spin ya a yarn," Kathy drawled, holding up a hand to stop him. She clicked her shoes together as she came up with a similar situation she'd be able to hypothetically talk about. "Alright, say… once upon a time there was a foal. She always dreamed of growin' up and runnin' the big race and getting that golden trophy. But one day… the foal woke up and discovered she wasn't a foal. She was a giraffe."

Trent's brow wrinkled as he tried to follow.

Kathy went on. "Giraffes aren't allowed in the race. What does the foal do?"

Another seagull swept down and landed in the waves beside the first. Trent turned to the blonde, studying her eyes for a deeper meaning and not finding much past her poker face. "It seems fairly obvious… if the horse was never a horse, and she's always been a giraffe… she was never meant to race anyways."

"Maybe," Kathy huffed, pulling her legs back up to her chin.

Wrong answer. Trent winced and rubbed the back of his head. "But that leaves an open door. She can do whatever she wants now. Dream any dream. Right?"

Kathy remained quiet. One of the seagulls cawed, and the first took off towards the dock.

Winding about the story and trying to retrace his steps to a better conclusion, Trent came up with a question of his own. "Alright. What makes the horse – or foal, or giraffe, whatever she is – think that the race was worth winning?"

_Right_… Why did she bother? Why was she trying to keep a blanket together when someone else was pulling out all of the strings? What was the worth in fighting for something that inevitably… would never make her happy?

Kathy stood up and walked to the ocean. Trent got to his feet behind her, brushing the sand off of his pants and curiously watching as she pulled something from her pocket and stared down at it. Kathy bit her tongue as she looked at the shiny golden hoop earrings in her palm, but she didn't give them a second glance as she gripped them tight in her fist, wound her arm back, and chucked them into the water. The lone seagull fled as they made a tiny splash and disappeared forever in the inky murk.

She turned away with her hands back in her coat pockets, giving Trent a once over. Kathy shrugged. "Thanks."

"Though I don't condone litter… I'm glad. You look better already," he said.

She smiled wide with a laugh and shook her head. A lump rose in her throat at the prospect of what was to come, but the weight had been shifted off of her shoulders. It was something she could tackle now; not a lingering tug on an indecisive conscience.

"Trent, right?" Kathy reiterated, falling into step beside him as they left the beach.

"A local," he provided with a nod. "It's a great area. I hope you can enjoy it despite your troubles."

"They aren't gonna bother me none. Not anymore," Kathy determined with new confidence.

"Doctor! _There_ you are!"

A breathless girl with close-cropped brown hair spied them and ran their way across the square. She had a no nonsense air about her, but her voice was as sweet as her cherubic features.

Trent greeted her with vacant confusion. "Elli? Whatever's the matter with you? You look winded – you should rest."

"For heaven's sake, of course I'm winded – my problem's you! Always leaving the office. I understand today's a holiday, but business hours are business hours. We have a patient," she reported, catching her breath between sentences.

_Doctor? Patient? She had been talking to a _doctor_?_ Kathy couldn't help but feel betrayed. Not a psychologist he said. _Ha!_ She still felt like she'd been analyzed, despite the fact that he had been helpful in talking out her thought drivel.

"Patient? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Trent admonished, leading the way to the clinic. He turned and gave Kathy an apologetic look. "Excuse me, I…"

"No, not at all! Go be a hero," Kathy teased with a wave.

Looking quite annoyed with the doctor's flippancy and habit of tending to only half listen to her, Elli filled him in as the pair walked away. "A girl passed out. Gotz brought her in, and everyone's in a tizzy. Her boyfriend, uh… Chase, it was, said she was ta—"

Still within earshot, Kathy looked like she'd stepped on red hot cinders. She ran to catch up with them, taking the girl by the shoulder for confirmation. "What did you say? Chase? Molly's at the clinic?"

Both Trent and Elli gave her looks of surprise that she knew who these people were. Trent asked: "Friends of yours?"

"Only my _sister!"_ Kathy said, running ahead of them to get to the clinic first.

Her feet carried her without conscious aid. Kathy all but flew as she rounded the bend and nearly ran into a couple passing by. They shouted in surprise, but she merely wound out of their way and sprinted ahead.

_Which one of these buildings was the clinic? They all looked the same!_

Kathy nearly passed it by, but she saw the sign in time. She ran up the walk and hit the door with a bang, twisting the knob and throwing herself inside.

The room was eerily quiet. The air smelled sterile and a little grody. Kathy panted from her mad dash, turning and finding four girls staring back at her wide-eyed. "Where's… Molly?"

"You run here?" Luna snarked, looking her up and down.

"She's in there," Candace was more helpful, pointing to the door their bench was sitting beside.

Kathy walked in without question, finding two beds with white curtains. She poked her head around the first and found it empty. She went to the second and pulled the curtain back and stared.

"Hey," Molly said.

All Kathy could do was look flabbergasted as her eyes flitted between Molly's pale face from where she was lying against a crisp white pillow to Chase who had his legs stretched out and his arms crossed holding Molly's coat in his lap in the only chair.

"What?" He asked first.

"What the hell?!" Kathy shouted. She pushed past Chase who nearly lost his balance and bent down to give Molly a hug. "You scared the _shit_ outta me!"

Molly laughed, lightly hugging her shoulders back. "I didn't mean to! This is all kind of unexpected."

"What happened to you? Are you okay?" Mama Kathy kicked into gear as she pulled away and inspected Molly's arm, going to each joint suspiciously. She recoiled slightly when she noticed the IV stuck in her friend's forearm.

"I set up the stage! It's all ready to go for tonight," Molly smiled. "You don't have to worry about a thing! It's going to be great!"

Kathy gave Chase an incredulous look, and he rolled his eyes. He was annoyed, too.

She clicked her tongue, still unnerved to see Molly looking so weak. "So you're not… sick?"

"I think we have a simple case of oversight," a voice startled all three of them. In trooped Trent with the nurse Elli close behind him as he slipped his arms into a lab coat, and she handed him a stethoscope. He smiled as he looked over the trio. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Molly apologized first, already expecting a scolding.

Trent went around the bed and took up Molly's wrist. He held it as he pressed the stethoscope to her chest and asked her to take deep breaths. Chase and Kathy watched until his minor examination was through. "Temperature?"

"Normal," Elli reported, after having stuck a thermometer in Molly's mouth upon arrival.

"Good," he smiled kindly and gave her leg a pat. "What did you eat today?"

Molly looked downcast like a child, wringing her fingers. "Nothing… I got distracted."

"And this is why we doctors are always saying breakfast's the most important meal of the day," he teased. He made a motion, and Elli came forward. Molly's friends got out of the way as the nurse removed the IV and patted a bandage into its place.

"Was that it?" Chase finally asked. He coughed when all eyes rested on him, but he continued. "She just… fainted? Why couldn't she see me?"

Trent could tell the poor guy had been really rattled by the whole thing. He softly smiled as he explained. "When oxygen is cut off to the brain and a person passes out, sight is one of the first things to go. It's quite common, I assure you."

Chase looked meek, but he accepted the diagnosis and looked at the wall. Molly bit her lip as she watched him, feeling awful.

Trent turned back to Molly with a stern nod. "Keep hydrated. When you're feeling up to it, eat to your heart's content. And you're on bed rest until tomorrow."

"Wha?! I can't do that," Molly shook her head furiously. "I've got to play with the band. I sing! I'm needed; I swear."

"We can't perform without her," Kathy vouched with a nod.

Trent was still adamant. "You're going to be wobbly on your feet for a good few hours still. I'm sorry, but I can't just give you the all clear after you've exhausted yourself like that."

Molly wasn't going to give up though. She was stubborn, and she was confident that she was more stubborn than the doctor. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept that. I'll sleep it off, but I'm going out there. I'm not missing it for the world."

Dr. Trent needed a break from Molly's merciless stare, and he made eye contact with Chase instead. The peachy blond boy shrugged his shoulders. "She's kind of an idiot."

"Hey!" Molly whined, but Trent chuckled and gave her leg another pat.

"Very well. Then I want you sleeping right away. After a hefty meal. Elli – what do we have around?" He asked, looking to his partner.

"We can bring something for her!" Luna spoke up from the doorway. She quickly entered with Candace, Popuri, and Mary bobbing their heads for a look behind her. "We'll go get something from Ann and come right back!"

"Ooo, that sounds good! You guys are the best!" Molly clapped.

"Alright, alright; our work is done here," Trent smiled as he left to finalize the paperwork. Elli made sure all of the monitors were set back, and she took the materials needing cleaning to the back room.

"I'll go with," Kathy volunteered. She followed the girls out, stopping at the door and looking back over her shoulder. "You need anything else?"

"Mm-mm," Molly shook her head. Kathy kissed her hand and waved it to her, and Molly did the same in return with a giggle, watching the blonde go. Now that the room was quiet, Molly wasn't looking forward to being alone with Chase. For once. She grimaced as she tried to work out a proper apology, staring down at her shoes. "I'm sorry about our date. I really wanted to spend time with you…"

Chase sat back down in the chair. More tenderly than she expected, he leaned over and parted her bangs from her eyes piece by piece. His eyes were still active, still full of adrenaline despite how calm his hands were. "You scared me."

Guilty, Molly pinched her eyes shut. So much for giving her friends a worry-free day. And she had blasted things with Chase right in the foot. She couldn't imagine he'd be asking her out any time soon after the stunt she pulled today. She repeated herself. "I'm so sorry."

Chase waited until Molly peeked his way, and he smirked. In the end, he was just glad she was alright. He gave her forehead a kiss. "You owe me. Big."


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Thanks for the review, person! Very vague name you have. xD But I'm happy to -spoiler- tell you that Kathy's troubles are going to be made clear very soon.

I was a little bummed since I started this chapter to immediately follow the first, but my computer thought it would be hilarious to update while I was writing it, and it deleted everything. But! Here it is, all back in one piece. **Double update!**

Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two<strong>

* * *

><p>The sun began to sink over Mineral Town, and the air grew livelier and livelier as the minutes ticked by towards midnight. There was an excited stir of anticipation running through those milling about playing games, snacking, shopping, and chatting under the lantern light. The streets were busy with flocking tourists, and the girls were just beginning to realize that this would be the biggest crowd they've played for yet.<p>

Mayor Thomas had been informed of the incident with Molly, and he was exceedingly apologetic. He regretted leaving Molly to her own devices, but once he had been sated and the girls still insisted on playing, he left with the reminder they were on at ten and reluctantly was torn away to oversee the ceremonies.

In the dim room of the clinic, Chase sat watching the time slip by. With the girls out getting dressed up and checking the sound at the festival, he was wondering how much trouble he'd be in if he broke his promise. Molly had made him swear he'd wake her up in time to perform, but with all that had transpired and with the way she was sleeping so deeply, he was having doubts about letting her have her way.

If he waited ten more minutes, it would be too late. Molly wouldn't make it to the square ready in time. Maybe if she didn't show up, they'd skip the concert.

Chase knew Kathy was on his side. Molly had pushed herself too hard. Luna wouldn't let him hear the end of it, but he was hardly intimidated by her. Her bony fists could pack quite a surprising wallop though.

Molly's hand twitched under her chin while she dreamed. Though her face was peaceful, she was curled up in a ball facing his way with the thin bedsheet covering her up to her elbows.

This scenario was all too familiar to him. The monitors, crisp linens, and hollow atmosphere smelling of anesthetic. It was no wonder he had felt his heart nearly stop when Molly fainted. She was supposed to be strong. Her body wasn't frail like his mother's. His mother was always sick. He could still see her laying there with tubes connected to her like an alien horror movie. A respirator in her nose and a sad smile on her cracking lips.

"Aaagghh," Chase passed a hand over his face in frustration, forcing the memories away. Looking between his fingers, his girlfriend continued to snooze unheeded of his grumblings. Molly was always so… safe. Chase had never thought losing her could be a possibility, but now the idea was planted. They both knew how fragile life could be… but that wasn't supposed to be them. Hadn't they lost enough? To put it short, he was freaking out.

Elli was busy closing up the rest of the clinic, locking the medicine cabinet and checking their stores. The doctor had already gone to check up on her grandmother before he would head to the festival himself. In case of an emergency, Elli felt more or less doomed to remain in the vicinity of the clinic, but she didn't mind so much anymore. It meant she would spend the holiday quietly at home with her grandmother, and the memories she had with her were precious as their expiration was coming due.

She entered the patient room and checked that the monitors were all back in place, and the curtains were drawn. Elli piped up with her hand hovering near the lamp. "Would you like me to leave the light on?"

Chase visibly jumped, not having heard her with his thoughts swirling like they were put through a blender. He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. "Nah… we'll be out of here. Sorry."

"Not at all. She needed the rest," Elli smiled, still lingering by the light.

"Hey," Chase sat up and took Molly's shoulder, lightly shaking her. His tone hardened when she didn't immediately stir. "Molly. Get up. You'll be late."

Molly blearily blinked her eyes until they became alert. She sprung up, looking about the room and pushing away the sheet. "What…? What time is it?"

Chase glanced at his watch. "It's 9:30."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and let her eyes focus. "I'm feeling much better!"

"Mmhm," Chase commented as he held out her coat for her. She hopped to her feet to prove she was okay, but she swayed. Her knees buckled, and he shot his arms out to catch her.

Molly chuckled awkwardly in his embrace. "Ahaha… just keeping you on your toes!"

"If you're not feeling up to it, you should really continue to rest," Elli gave her professional opinion with a doubtful frown of worry.

Molly regained her balance and gave Chase's arm a squeeze. "I'm fine…"

"Last time you said that, you lied," Chase said, extreme distrust for her in his eyes. He held her jacket back out, and Molly slipped her arms through it.

She zipped up and gave him an apologetic smile, biting the inside of her lip. Molly's one goal was to convince her friends, especially Chase, that she wasn't going to be a burden. She was going to sing for Mineral Town, and she wasn't going to worry anyone doing it. She was determined to be as normal as could be. For her anyways. "Trust me. Please."

The last thing he felt like doing was trusting her word that she was okay, but Chase knew she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. He sighed. "Alright."

His response was clipped, but she appreciated his support despite his hesitancy. Molly gave his hand a squeeze, and Elli turned out the light. The trio walked to the main lobby where Molly confidently signed herself out, and Elli wished them both a good night. She locked the front door after them, and they headed down the lonely street, Chase hovering her like a drone all the way.

Before they could reach the inn, a pair of shadows came running up from the plaza towards them. "Molly! Hey!"

"Stu! May!" Molly whirled around in recognition, but she was nearly toppled by her Pyrenees instead. Her dog happily greeted her with kisses to her hands, and Molly got to her knees to rub the thick fur around his neck in hello. "Whoa, hey, buddy! What have you been up to today?"

"Hey, down," Chase commanded, pulling on Tucker's collar to give Molly some space.

"We were huntin' for buried treasure!" Stu announced with a toothy grin. Evidence of their adventures were streaked across his pants in stains, and his hands were still gritty with dirt. "Tucker's real good at diggin!'"

Molly pinched Tucker's jowl with a suspicious glower. "You better not have been digging anywhere important, mister!"

"Look what we found!" May found her cue, holding an assortment of objects in her gloved palms. There was a bottle cap, a paper clip, various rocks they took a fancy to, and a dark button that used to be cream colored.

"Ooh, wow! Quite a haul you've got," Molly admired their wares with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to put our treasure in the offering plate on Sunday," May whispered to Molly in excitement.

"I'm sure the good pastor will appreciate your generosity," she chuckled in good humor, hoping the pastor would feel the same way with the cute offering.

Stu rubbed his nose, getting dirt smudged there as he held onto Tucker's leash with his other hand. "Hey, somebody was sayin' you were sick. You're still gonna play, right? You promised!"

Molly's eyes widened, and she looked to Chase, but he just shrugged in response. She nervously laughed, patting Tucker on the head and standing. She brushed off her jeans. "Ah, I'm actually on my way right now! And do you know what would help me out times a thousand?"

"Do you need us to clap again?" May asked, holding their junk treasure in her cupped hands.

"Maybe! But would you two keep Tucker company for just a bit longer?" Molly asked the favor, hoping they wouldn't mind.

"Oh, sure!" Stu gave Tucker's back a hearty pat, twisting the leash around his fist.

May ran back towards the square, but Tucker continued to sit and dumbly stare between the people, not feeling like getting off his big hind end. "Let's go back to Grandpa!"

"Wait up, May! I want tempura!" Stu tugged the dog along, and the Pyrenees gave, trotting alongside the little boy that he nearly matched in height.

Molly watched them go, thinking how glad she was that Tucker was such a sociable, gentle giant. He wasn't the best listener, but he was a good dog. She sighed a little and found Chase waiting impatiently at her side. Her heart skipped a beat. "Right! I've gotta get dressed!"

"You're not as pale as you were before…" Chase observed her complexion and picked a stray fuzzy from her hair.

She was feeling a lot more like herself, and Molly laughed aloud. She knew where his paranoia was coming from, but she also knew it meant she was going to have to work hard to get him off her case. It was going to be awhile before Chase stopped babying her, but she couldn't lie and say she didn't find it endearing.

"I said I was fine! Trust me!" Molly took his head in her hands and brought him to her, nuzzling their noses for an Eskimo kiss. Chase's face was bright red, and he was looking around for any witnesses when she let him go, waving to him as she held open the door to the inn. "Wish me luck, you nag! I better see you front and center, okay?"

"I am not a nag!" Chase refuted as she disappeared. He ran a stressed hand through his hair, upsetting his bobby pins again. "Okay, okay… front and center… nag…"

A couple of girls passing by giggled as they overheard him talking to himself, and Chase hunched his shoulders in embarrassment. They laughed harder, and he stalked off towards the square with his mouth clamped shut and his ears burning.

* * *

><p>"Everything's fine! Quit fussing!"<p>

Kathy ignored Luna's scolding and continued to adjust the microphone stand. It felt too stiff, like it needed to be oiled. She tried to loosen it up, rocking it back and forth. She needed to keep herself preoccupied so she'd get her mind off of things. Besides, she'd be freezing her britches off if she wasn't moving about.

Luna threw her hands in the air in exasperation. Candace just shook her head as her sister tutted the girl dressed in giraffe spots. "Do you think Molly's going to be alright tonight…?"

"I'm glad it wasn't anything serious like a heart attack or… something awful like that," Mary lamely answered her concerns as she picked at her mittens.

Though they hadn't expected the band to dress as furries, it wasn't a totally unwelcome idea. Popuri was quite fond of their tails and had a good time twirling Luna's around. Mary thought it was more funny than anything, but she had to admit it was a cute idea, and their animals seemed to suit them rather well.

Popuri took it upon herself to help the girls get ready, handing the mirror to Candace to examine and see if she drew the whiskers on right for her. She capped the makeup pencil she used. "Still, it's so _scary!_ I've never fainted before. Mary, you better not faint either!"

"It wasn't in the agenda," Mary lightly laughed at the idea. She held a bag of popcorn to share, and Luna stuck her hand in it, retrieving a fistful to munch on.

"She'll be just fine. Molly always pops back from these things. I can't even remember the last time she had a cold…" Luna hummed as she sat on the stage and pulled on her grey hobo gloves. She clapped away some popcorn grease, looking a bit unsure as she rubbed her hands clean on her pants.

"That's true," Kathy conceded, proving she had been listening despite her quiet. She felt a little like an intruder butting in since Luna and Candace had inexplicably become close with the two village girls, but Kathy always had a friendly face for new company. She released a huff to her bangs and sat down beside Luna. Kathy rested her head on her shoulder. "I'm startin' to get jitters."

"I know what you mean…" Candace agreed, her insides twisting into knots. She felt very self-conscious in her bunny ears, and the girls were getting weird looks from passersby. "I wish we rehearsed a little more."

"It'll be fine! We've got the songs we've practiced a thousand times, and we'll play covers everyone knows for an hour. Piece of cake," Luna said. She was feeling nervous herself, but she wasn't going to let it show as usual. With how shy and reclusive her sister was, Luna didn't want to appear to be a coward in any way, shape, or form.

"You're so confident! I can't wait to see you guys really have a go at it!" Popuri clapped, jumping up and down with limitless energy. "When you're famous, you have to promise to remember you had a gig here!"

"Famous? Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Luna chortled at the very idea. She outlined her point with her hand, closing her fingers together in the air. "It's a hobby. A _hobby._"

"I wouldn't mind being famous," Kathy said, pouting her lip in thought. "I'd never have to waitress another day of my life. No more scrounging for tips and chump change!"

"Lucky you," Chase interrupted, walking up with his hands in his pockets.

Luna stuck up her nose at him, though it was difficult to pick up on, what with her being so much shorter on the ground. "So, Mr. Manager finally shows up! How's the headliner?"

"She's alive," he massaged his temples with one hand, shielding his eyes. With a heavy sigh, he dropped his arm and surveyed the group of girls. "She's on her way."

"I'm here! I'm here!" Molly came running across the square, adjusting her headband ears on the way. She giggled as she nearly ran into a teenager and offered a quick apology before meeting up with her friends. She used Chase's shoulder to lean on as she caught her breath. "T-told you I wouldn't be long!"

"How are you feeling?" Kathy got to her feet, eyeing Molly much like Chase had in her inspection of her tuckered out stance.

Molly released Chase and put her hands on her hips. She provided a fist pump for good measure. "Fit as a fiddle! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Ha, good on you! I'm glad you're okay," Popuri stepped forward with her hand out. The girls were given proper introductions all around. Popuri gave Candace a hug and Luna a high five as they parted ways. "Good luck, everyone!"

Chase was getting antsy as the crowd began to gather in front of the stage and Mayor Thomas strode up. Chase escorted Molly towards the mic, and her bandmates rallied around their instruments. He made one last, nitpicky adjustment, wrapping the microphone cord out of her way from her feet. "It's a short set, so you should be fine."

"Thank you," she gave him a sincere nod of understanding. With a teasing grin, Molly tapped her lip. "Yeah, but I'm not quite feeling like myself yet. Please and thank you?"

He had taken her seriously at first and almost panicked, but he caught her snarky tone. Pressing his tongue against the back of his teeth in annoyance, Chase grabbed her nose and lightly twisted it. "You snot."

Molly still successfully got a quick kiss out of him before he hurried aside as Mayor Thomas mounted the stage. He gave Molly a slap to the shoulder in congratulations. "It's great to see you looking so energized! You sure you're good to go?"

"Ready when you are, sir!" Molly saluted.

Thomas heartily laughed and walked up to the podium. He tapped the microphone on it and cleared his throat. "Hello! Hello, everyone! I hope you have been enjoying our New Year's festival here in Mineral Town!"

A good portion of the crowd quieted to listen to him speak, and they applauded his sentiment. Some gave out a few jolly whoops and shouts in reply. Thomas waved and continued. "To herald in the New Year, I'd like to introduce these lovely ladies who have some hopping music for you! Please give a warm, Mineral Town welcome to Molly & The Animal Parade! Take it away, girls!"

The bystanders cheered, and the girls waved in response. Candace hurried to help Thomas wheel the podium aside and got back into place over the keys. Molly felt like she didn't need to say anything after Thomas' introduction, but she was sure to thank Mineral Town again for letting them play there tonight.

The world seemed to slow. Molly looked back over her shoulder, listening to her heartbeat pump in her ears. Luna was gritting her teeth in concentration as she waited for her cue to begin. Candace kept her head down, but she was centering herself in order to focus and not choke. Molly's eyes met Kathy's, and the blonde's strained expression clenching her jaw softened, and she smiled with a nod.

Molly looked out over the large crowd and took in a deep breath. She let the arm she had raised fall as she counted them in. _3… 2… 1._ Time kicked back in, and she sang stronger than she ever had before.

The girls powered through 'Backstage Boyfriend' to uproarious cheers. Those who had been milling about the festival grounds in the plaza had come to a stop to see the girls play. Even the saltiest of merchants nodded along with their songs, some of the later ones which they recognized. Popuri found poor Gray and forced him into a dance which consisted of spinning around him in circles until he was annoyed, and she took Mary as a dance partner instead.

Their hour was soon up. The girls were feeling a bit drained, but they were on a high from the positive reception they were getting. They had time for one more song before they'd wrap it up.

"You still okay?" Kathy asked as their listeners clapped to the music drowning out.

Molly was breathing hard, but she nodded. She smiled wider and pushed back her bangs, surprised to find she was sweating in the cold air. She looked between her friends. "What do you say? One more?"

"Which one should we do?" Luna asked as Candace nodded in agreement, setting the synth down in preparation on her panel.

Molly shrugged and looked to Kathy for a suggestion. Kathy tapped the body of her bass, cradling it between her tired arms with one hand on the neck. "You know… I know a song that'd make a couple of kids very happy. Just might make their day."

Molly squinted in bewilderment, now feeling the pressure for them to make up their mind as the plaza grew quieter and quieter as they decided. Sudden realization sparked. "You mean that thing I sang for May and Stu?"

"Why not?" Kathy persevered. It'd give the girls a break from their instruments anyways. "It'd make a cute finale."

"I think it's a nice idea!" Candace added with a supportive smile.

Molly ran a hand over her neck. "Oh, God, I don't even know if I remember the words…"

"Sure you do!" Kathy gave her a punch in the arm, swinging her guitar around behind her back.

"Just clap and drum, right?" Luna asked, setting her drumsticks aside and backing her stool away to give her feet some more room. Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, let's stomp instead!"

"That'll be so cool!" Kathy pointed at her. She grinned at Molly persuasively. "So? Whatcha think?"

"I… I guess… okay!" Molly threw up her hands. "If you're all in, why not? Man, this is so weird…"

The girls chuckled as Molly made her way back to the center of the stage, bending the microphone up to her lips. She giggled aside again before speaking into it with breathy disbelief. "Hey, thanks again, Mineral Town! We've got one more song for you guys before we count in the last hour of the year. This song is very special to us, as it was written for and by a couple of… locals. Written yesterday, in fact."

Molly looked back at her band one last time, and as they were still good with the idea, she shrugged to herself and finished her spiel. "This one's for our good friends May and Stu! Called 'Take Me Back.'"

She had just made up the title on the spot, setting the microphone back as she got ready to begin. Molly clapped her hands and kicked the stage, twice each. Kathy, Luna, and Candace joined her, and it became a steady, thunderous beat. A few audience members got in on it, too, and Molly grabbed the mic. She stopped clapping, but she continued to stomp her foot in time.

"_Hey, everybody, look at me  
>Got the boy of my dreams sittin' next to me<br>The sun's so bright  
>It's just my day<br>He smiles so nice  
>Takes my breath away…"<em>

Though she hadn't seen them before, Molly spotted May's red knit hat first. Tucker was sitting beside them as May and Stu enthusiastically clapped and stomped, squealing in excitement that their song was being played for the whole village to hear. An old man Molly assumed to be May's grandfather Barley was clapping along with them. Molly smiled.

When she got to the kids' part, Stu shouted as loud as he could after she sang his line. "That's mine! That was my part! Did you hear it?!"

He was hushed, but Molly was already laughing too hard and missed the proper pause for the chorus. The crowd took it in good humor, and she got back on track to finish up the song.

"_Oh, take me back where I wanna be…  
>Take me back to the boy of my dreams…"<em>

The girls stomped, and that was the end. The audience erupted in cheers and whistles, and the girls waved gratefully back as they descended and left the stage.

"Wow, that was so much fun!" Popuri dragged Mary along by the wrist behind her, excited to be the first ones to meet the girls. "Do you have any CDs?! I totally wanna buy one!"

"Not yet, but we'll let ya know!" Kathy said, giving Molly's arm a nudge with her elbow. It was a friendly signal to 'write more songs – people like what you're doing.'

"If it comes to that, you'll get a free copy – promise!" Luna gave her a little curtsy with a little jeer of sarcasm. She looped her arms between Candace and Popuri, walking off into the plaza. "Come on – I don't feel like changing out of this yet. Let's get something to eat!"

"Last meal of the year!" Popuri cheered, still tugging Mary along. The four of them were almost immediately lost to the crowd.

"That's a good idea," Kathy commented, debating catching up with them. But she knew she had something to take care of that she didn't want to put off any longer. She put an arm around Molly. "You going to finally have your date with Chase? You've got one hour left until the year's over!"

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Molly brightened. But her legs were threatening to rock out from underneath her, like she was balancing on marbles. "Maybe we'll just get something to eat and head back though… it's been a long day."

"Right," Kathy agreed. She spotted Chase winding his way to them and took her leave. She gave Molly's shoulder a firm, affectionate shake and let her go. Kathy sent her a two-finger salute. "You take your time and have some fun though, okay? See you later!"

"Kathy? Where are you going?" Molly called to her, but Kathy had slipped away. A bit confused with Kathy's vague yet significantly sunnier attitude towards her, she didn't have much time to mull it over before Chase tapped her arm. She turned and threw her arms around his neck for a hug. "Hey! I told you I could do it, didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; shut up," he muttered in retort to her sassy greeting.

"Phew, I am _dying_ of thirst," Molly reported, sticking out her tongue as she swung away from him.

Chase reigned in her hand, happy to see her virtually back to normal. No matter how much of a spaz that entailed. "Lemme buy you a drink then."

Molly snorted. "Pfft, with what? Your dashing good looks?"

"I brought some money…" he argued, looking down at his shoes from the offhand compliment.

"Hey, you were great up there!" A guy around their age waved to Molly in passing.

She waved back in thanks. "Why, thank you!"

Chase held her hand tighter, pulling her in a different direction. Another pair and an old woman praised Molly as they finally reached a food cart where hot drinks were being sold. Chase paid for a couple of herb teas and accepted the change from the man running the stall. "You sing very well! I've always loved a woman who can sing."

As he had addressed Molly, she held a hand to her heart and took the hot cup of tea from him. "Why, thank you! I'm flattered, teehee."

Chase rolled his eyes in annoyance at her giggle, and they left the booth. Molly took up his hand again, looking at his profile in worry. "I didn't fiddle, did I?"

An involuntary smile broke his frown, and he smirked at her. He brought their hands up and planted a kiss to the back of hers. "You're just fine. You deserve all of the admiration. You've worked hard."

Molly's heart swelled, and she took a skip ahead. If he said things like that all of the time, she was sure she'd never sleep again. After a sip of the warm tea, her throat was soothed, and she yanked Chase's arm ahead. "Come on! I wanna see some of these booths before midnight!"

"You know my arm's attached to me, right?" Chase griped but hurried to catch up with her excitable pace.

"Look! Look!" Molly ignored him, pointing at a stall where customers could catch little goldfish for prizes. It was beside one of the many yummy-smelling buckwheat noodle stands where patrons were lined up for a bowl. Chase looked down at the little pool of cold water where it was surrounded by a vast majority of children under ten. He looked apprehensively at his elated girlfriend. "Could you catch one for me? Please? I'll take good care of it; I promise!"

"Can't even take care of yourself," Chase muttered to his cup as he took a swig of tea.

Molly pouted and defied him, going to the salesman and paying him for three chances and a shallow scoop. She ran back and presented it to Chase with eager eyes. "Please?"

A fox asking him to catch fish seemed more than seedy, but Chase couldn't resist forever. With an overdramatic sigh and slump of his shoulders, he passed off his Styrofoam cup to her and took the scoop. Molly clapped and followed him to pick out a good spot to stake out a fish she liked.

It wasn't very long before the festivities were winding down, and everyone was gathering beside a massive clock to count in the New Year. Parents were looking frazzled with their hyperactive, overtired children running about in excitement, and couples were setting up blankets on the beach to wait out the night for the sunrise.

Molly and Chase called it a night early, heading back for the inn when the streets were deserted. Chase never managed to catch a fish, and he was feeling sore about it for longer than necessary with Molly cheering him up with the fact that maybe it was for the best. She'd hardly want to look after a little fish with their trip back home looming before them. Chase still felt like a loser, but he decided to let his grudge against the cheap game go.

"Go on up," Chase stopped at the door to the inn. He walked her back, but he intended to take care of things for her since she was still pretty exhausted. "I'll go get Tucker."

"Aw, thanks! That's a huge help. I think I'm starting to feel tired now…" Molly held a hand over her mouth as her statement ended with a long yawn. She sheepishly blinked back sleepy tears.

Chase flicked one of her fox ears with a grin. "I won't be long. Get to sleep."

"Aye, aye, Mr. Manager," Molly cheekily hummed. She bid him a little wave and entered the noisy inn. People were crowded with drinks held high, counting down the last ten seconds.

"Eight! Seven! Six!" They shouted in unison, laughing and ready to toast their various alcohols in good cheer. Molly eyed them a little enviously, but she wasn't too sad about not going out of her way to make the countdown special. It was already a special night without it.

Chase was uncomfortable enough with public displays of affection, so Molly highly doubted any traditional 'New Year's kiss.' It was better this way. Able to just be open around him and know he was comfortable around her in turn. In a quiet room, they could be one another's lifeline, and she could get more truth from his eyes than from any words he could say. Molly was feeling light-headed with her happiness as she traversed the stairs to go back to the room, humming to herself a nameless tune.

"Happy New Year!" Luna shouted into the phone with Candace at her side, neither noticing Molly heading up the stairs behind them. The girls laughed and continued to share the ear piece. "We love you, Gramma!"

"_I love you, too, girls,"_ Shelly's quiet voice was difficult to hear over the crackly receiver and the buzzing room. "_Happy New Year! Have lots of fun!"_

"Will do," Luna promised, already eyeing the selection of drinks lined along the wall.

"We'll be home soon," Candace said, having to repeat herself twice before Shelly got the message.

"_Take your time, dears. And thanks for calling,"_ Shelly said, fondly running her hand up and down the phone cord in the kitchen.

Luna jutted her lip out to her sister, finding their grandmother's doting adorable. "Of course, Gramma! See you soon!"

"_Safe travels!"_ Shelly called over the background noise.

The girls hung up in high spirits, glad to have not missed the holiday with their little family. They thanked Ann again for letting them use the phone, and they went back around the counter to rejoin Popuri and Mary in the corner.

"I don't know about you girls, but I need a drink," Luna said, hands on her hips and ready to party.

"Ooo… I don't really drink. It's too bitter!" Popuri whined in disappointment.

When it came down to it, no one but Luna had any interest in alcohol. Mary made an excuse about having a headache, and Candace was halfway through the same spiel before Luna knowingly stopped her. "Alright, alright, I'm alone this time. No big deal."

Popuri spotted a familiar face at the bar stool, and she waved her hands over her head to her. "Hey, there's someone who'll know what to get! Karen! Oh, Karen! Yoohoo!"

The girl named Karen spun around in her seat and found Popuri signaling her. She waved her over, and the four girls met the brunette at her stool amongst the many people pushing to get served. Karen flicked her heavily highlighted bangs framing her face out of the way and sipped her glass of chardonnay. "Hey, Popuri. Mary. Happy New Year, yeah?"

"Happy New Year!" Popuri giddily threw her arms around her. The action wasn't taken to be bizarre as Karen lightly hugged her back. Popuri spread her arm out to the sisters. "These are the girls from The Animal Parade! Luna and Candace. They're super sweet!"

"Nice to meet you," Luna nodded skeptically, noting with a hint of intimidation that Karen was much more… woman than any of them. She was well-endowed, a couple of years their senior, and she oozed confidence. Candace shyly waved from behind her sister.

"Ditto. Wanna have a drink? Take a load off!" Karen moved her bag from the only vacant seat, clearing it for any takers. She was relieved to find people who weren't going to repeatedly hit on her all night.

Luna took up the challenge, asserting herself as someone just as impressive and beautiful as Karen was. She gracefully sat herself down on the stool and folded her ankles beneath her. "Any recommendations?"

Karen was a little confused by her body language, so she was setting up suspicious walls of her own behind her genuinely friendly smile. She set down her glass and held up her hand. When he spotted her, Doug, Ann's middle-aged father and the innkeeper, came down the line and smiled at them. "Hello, there! What can I get you ladies?"

"Send us a couple of screwdrivers to start us out, would ya, Doug? And put it on my tab. My treat!" Karen graciously ordered for them.

"Just the two?" Doug asked, looking between the other three girls. All three quickly shook their heads in the negative, mumbling 'no thanks' and Popuri snidely remarked that those were decidedly _not_ sweet enough. He smiled and got to work on the simple concoction, handing over two plastic cups with stirring straws to the girls at the bar. "Enjoy!"

"Thank you!" Luna merrily accepted it, giving it a sniff.

"Cheers," Karen said, raising her glass.

"Cheers," Luna repeated with a nod. Both girls held eye contact as they took a sip, but Luna broke away first. Pinching her eyes shut, she chugged the vodka and orange juice in one gulp, crunching the cup in her fist when she was through. She shook her head. "Phew! I'm going to need another."

"Luna, I'm not so sure…" Candace began, tugging at her sister's shirt in the back. She went ignored, with Mary awkwardly looking between them and Popuri left wondering if she should have introduced Luna and Karen in the first place.

Karen finished her own and laughed, slapping Luna on the back. "Now, _you're_ my kind of drinking buddy. Let's get some more over here! Hey, Doug!"

Luna couldn't help but smile as Doug came by and Karen got them a pair of tequila sunrises. They tapped cups and glared at one another competitively.

"Alright, cat, first to drop loses," Karen teased, her lips hovering close to the edge of her drink.

Luna's resolve broke as she laughed, forgetting she was still in costume. At least she had wiped off the whiskers. She tossed the ears from her head, and Candace ran to retrieve them. "You're on!"

Popuri was more into the drinking game as it went on, and she allowed Karen to order a super sugary cocktail for her. Candace and Mary remained good sports by drinking lemonade on the sidelines and chatting with one another, ready to be a shoulder when no doubt one of the girls began wilting.

Luna had a case of the giggles as they finished another round. Karen began tapping the counter from the burn fizzing in her nose after the last one. She took a deep breath once it was over, feeling pleasantly lit. "Shots! We need to do shots together!"

"Yes!" Luna agreed all too readily, trying to scoot her stool closer to the counter and finding out too late that it was bolted down. Karen snorted at her, and Luna slapped her arm for her to shut up. They were officially friends.

"_Luna_, right?" Karen clarified, waiting for Doug to see her hand waving vacantly in the air.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's me," Luna bobbed her head. She began to giggle again when she noticed her vision was lagging with the movement of her nodding.

"Still holding up?" Doug asked as he tapped Karen's hand to get her attention.

Karen met his hand and immediately challenged him to a thumb war he wasn't participating in as she enthusiastically ordered their next round. "Yes! Shots! We need shots. Whiskey! You know the kind with a little bit of cinnamonon? Those!"

"Mm, sounds good! You have the best ideas," Luna said. With the bar starting to clear out, Candace took the seat next to her. When her sister was drunk, she couldn't help but be worried, but… Luna was a very amiable drunk. It was fun to watch her open up with anybody and everybody since she was usually so guarded.

"Alright, I'll get you shots with 'cinnamlehmleh,'" Doug teased her slurring with his own destruction of the word. Karen mimicked his mockery with more 'mleh mleh mleh's sent his way as he turned to get the shots ready.

Karen was buzzed, but she wasn't as far gone as Luna. She looked to Candace for a clearer answer. "So this is your last night in Mineral Town?" When Candace nodded, Karen pouted. "What a shame! You'll have to come back around sometimes. Sometimes? Sometime."

Popuri chuckled and leaned her chin on Karen's shoulder. Karen had always been like an older sister to her, so she was glad to see her getting along well with her new friends. Even if it was a bit unorthodox for an introduction. Getting hammered. "That's what I said! You should come with us when we visit them in Harmonica Town. We've got all sorts of plans to write letters and stuff, too."

"Big plans!" Luna repeated. She slammed her hands down on the counter as Doug set two shot glasses full of maple colored poison before them. "Shit! I'm going to get a hangover from this! I hate those!"

"Then it's too late to turn back now. Might as well have your fun while you can," Karen slid Luna's share over and held up her own. Once Luna had ahold of it, Karen presented hers. Her hair was now in a ponytail, making it easier to manage, but she blew at the wispy ends falling into her eyes. "Wait, we've gotta toast to something first! Everyone in!"

Mary and Candace held up their lemonade, and Popuri got herself a strawberry daiquiri that accessorized well with her outfit's color palette. Luna thought hard about something to toast since Karen gave her the floor. "To… hell, I don't know – happy trails? Ooh, is there any trail mix around? That sounds great."

"To new friends?" Candace suggested, her cheeks tinged pink.

"New friends!" Popuri echoed, raising her glass.

"New and old," Mary added in her own cup to the gathering.

"Yeah, and trail mix!" Luna chimed, hitting her shot against the cups and sloshing it about.

Karen laughed and chipped in. "Right! Friends and trail mix! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!" The girls all agreed and took their sips. Luna and Karen downed their shots whole. Luna immediately started coughing, biting back the burn singing her throat. Even Karen was blinking hard, trying not to wheeze. With all of the different drinks they had in their systems, it was a miracle Luna wasn't sick to her stomach.

"That was a good end…" Candace said, lightly moving the empty shot glass out of the way of her sister.

Luna's swimming eyes found her, and she laughed, taking her shoulder in a thankful hold. "Always looking out for me…"

Candace held out her arm, and her little sister latched on, nearly tumbling off of the stool. Luna erupted into giggles again, this time contagious enough for the rest of the group to hoot and holler along with her, shoulders shaking in their silly merriment.

* * *

><p>Molly was still humming to herself as she made her way down the hall. She heard the last hoorah as the clock struck midnight, and the bar goers congratulated each other on another year well-spent and well-lived. She had forgotten about the key, but when she tested the door, it swung open for her. Molly poked her head in, wondering if someone had beaten her back.<p>

Kathy turned in surprise to see someone, quickly turning back around when she saw she was caught. She was perched on Molly's bed hugging a pillow, and she frantically wiped her eyes, releasing a damning hiccup from a leftover, broken sob.

Molly shut the door behind her and hurried over. She gently sat on Kathy's empty bed, staring into her friend's face in worry. "Kathy…? What happened?"

Kathy opened her mouth to explain, but her frown twisted and fresh tears pricked her eyes. Her makeup was heavily smeared as she attempted to hide the wet tracks running down her face, rubbing her palm across her cheek. Her lungs shuddered. Kathy tried to look her in the eye, and she gave her a miserable shrug of the shoulders.

Discarding her silly fox ears, Molly folded her legs beneath her. She pled, feeling tears of her own forming in her eyes. "Please… you can tell me anything!"

"Wh-why are y-you cryin,' huh?" Kathy scoffed, but it wasn't mean. Just chiding.

"Because you are!" She defended herself, sniffling. Molly passed her fingerless glove across her eyes and looked down to see the black streaks of eyeliner and mascara staining the fabric. She looked up with a wan smile. "One sec."

Kathy watched as Molly hurried to her bag and tore it open, digging through it until she found an oversized pajama shirt and shorts. She scrambled out of her fox suit and got comfortable before bounding back and sitting on the bed across from Kathy again. Now without that distraction, she motioned for her to talk.

She chuckled at her scatterbrained nature, picking at her nails. Kathy let out a deep breath, wondering where to begin. She waved her hand around, trying to explain without bursting into tears again. "I just… earlier I… I broke up with him."

"With Owen?!" Molly nearly shouted. When Kathy just nodded, she scooched forward a bit more, snatching up a pillow to hold in her own lap. "But why?!"

"Because… it was inevitable," she answered, staring down at her hands. She stopped digging at her cuticles and smiled at something distant. "I'm not a horse…"

"Wh… what?" Molly's voice flattened at the strange declaration.

Kathy tucked up her legs closer underneath herself, resting her chin on the pillow tight against her chest. She looked up at Molly with watery yet calmer eyes. "You know I've liked Owen for ages. Since we were kids."

"Right…" Molly nodded. _How was this going to tie back into the horse thing?_

"I… haven't been completely honest," Kathy finally confessed. She breathed through her nose. "We've… kind of been on a trial run. It's… frankly, _humiliatin'_ because everyone knows I've liked Owen, but he kind of… well…? I'll put it plain. Our relationship is grossly one-sided. But he thought he saw somethin,' and he wanted to give it a go if I was up for it. So he asked me out."

Kathy's breath shuddered as she began again. "I got ahead of myself. I thought he loved me, too, but…"

"He led you on?" Molly whispered, horrified.

Kathy jumped to defend him. "No, no! Don't say it like that – he's really the sweetest guy. He'd never! He just… Well, he tried his hardest, he really did. But we just don't… feel the same way. Which makes a helluva lot of sense now why he didn't want no funny business at the Starry Night Festival…"

_Oh… OH._ The pieces finally clicked, and the cogs in Molly's brain were all back in gear.

Kathy leaned back in disgust with herself. "I'm just… I feel so _stupid!_ This was going to happen all along, but I got carried away none the less. Set up for failure, and I happily waltzed in for a front row seat to the show of my downfall."

Molly ignored the urge to want to make those song lyrics and focused on the present. There was still one thing she didn't understand. "But if you guys have been like… testing out what a relationship would be like, why did this come up when we left? What happened?"

Knowing she'd catch on sooner or later, Kathy huffed. "A couple nights ago in Echo? I called him up, and we talked about stuff like normal, but he brought up… well, he said… He thought it'd be a good idea if we treated our little vacation out here like a break. I know he didn't mean to word it the way he did, but he said… he didn't want to… Well… he said we were… wasting our time."

"Well, that was mean," Molly blatantly stated. When Kathy glared at her, she surrendered with wary hands. "Even if he didn't mean to say it like that! That's… harsh."

"So I agreed… said a break was what we needed. Let me think things over. He asked me if I was happy and to really think about it," Kathy grumbled. She was upset that she felt like such a child in comparison to how maturely Owen could handle things. Not detached but certainly not invested enough to leave scars. She envied that. "He was right though… It was his own way of saying he couldn't make me happy just like I… I couldn't… you know…"

Molly rubbed her shoulders, feeling cold. But it was all out in the open now. She peered at her best friend. "So… you called it off for good?"

Kathy nodded. She forced a smile. "It's a new year. I want a clean slate. For the both of us. I… I want to be somebody new."

Molly was proud of her, but she knew it was a long road ahead. Kathy had invested so much thought into a life with Owen. It wouldn't drop like it was nothing just because dating him failed. Kathy picked at the pillow case and plucked a string from it. Luckily, Molly had forgotten about her horse metaphor, so she didn't ask about it.

The air was strained. Molly wanted to be able to do something for Kathy, but she was… helpless. She couldn't bandage up a broken heart, no matter how much she wanted to or needed to. Even though she had been ecstatic moments earlier, thinking about Chase now felt like betrayal. Her heart was shadowed, feeling her friend's depression from across the space between them.

Suddenly, Molly spied the afghan propped against the wall by their bags. She remembered she didn't see anything in their cart when they performed that night, but it hadn't struck her as odd until now. Molly unfolded her legs and crawled across the bed. She was forced to stand after her reaching didn't work, and she uncovered Chase's acoustic guitar. Somewhere along the way, the two acoustics had made their way to their room with the luggage.

Molly looked back and found Kathy staring at the headboard, another tear rolling down her cheek. Reinvigorated, Molly grabbed the guitar by the neck and walked back over, sitting herself back across from Kathy. She crossed her legs and positioned the guitar in her lap, testing a strum on the strings and getting a jarring sound.

Kathy was watching her with perplexed distrust. She tilted her head slightly. "What're you doin?'"

If there was ever a time when her life would be a musical, this was it. Molly decided she couldn't strum for anything, but she could drum the strings over the sound hole and get a decent beat going. She looked up a little mischievously, still not saying a word.

Kathy was downright shocked – even though the guitar should have clued her in a bit – when Molly hummed and began to sing.

"_So this…  
>Is the e-end…!<br>My good friend…"_

"Molly, what are ya doin?'" Kathy asked again, a knit in her brow as she watched her. She didn't realize quite yet that Molly was doing all she _could_ do.

"_He said  
>No more<br>We're wasting… our time…"_

Kathy fell silent. The rumble deep in her heart picked up, giving her the same feeling she had when she first witnessed Molly pull a song out of thin air. For a couple of kids. Now for her best friend. Because she needed one.

Molly seemed a little lost, lingering on the pause. She struggled for words and filled in the blanks with syllables that fit, continuing on and just rolling with it.

"_His car's gone…  
>You're falling…!<br>But you won't feel sad for lo-o-o-ong…"_

The drawl she gave to the last word made Kathy smirk. There was a lot of sullen vibrato, giving it that forlorn, old-fashioned feeling. It was a regular-sounding country song. A sad ballad for her situation.

But Molly suddenly tapped the strings in a spritely manner, eliciting a brighter tone.

"_Because I'll be there  
>Bringing Ben &amp; Jerry's!<br>And that bad movie  
>That makes us laugh<em>

_You'll forget  
>All those little kisses<br>'Cuz this friend's  
>Got your back!"<em>

Kathy laughed aloud, a little miffed Molly had made her smile when she was content feeling down and out. Molly smiled wider at her success, one hand beating the guitar body and the other the strings.

"_I'll show up  
>Wearin' my pajamas<br>We'll rip pictures  
>And light 'em up<em>

_Stay up late  
>Talkin' 'bout how his music sucks<br>And all those times he  
>Stood you up!<em>

_So this, my friend  
>Is the end<br>Of your love bein' torn apart  
>Because, my dear<br>I'll be here  
>If he breaks your heart!"<em>

Suddenly bashful, Molly stopped singing and let her hands drop. She scratched at her nose, muttering: "Well… just… like I said, I… I'm sorry. I wish I could do something for you… It hurts me, too."

Kathy caved. Tossing her pillow aside, she stood and marched over to her things against the wall. Molly watched her in bubbling curiosity and then in wide-eyed wonder as Kathy opened her guitar case and brought her own acoustic over. She sat back down in front of Molly, taking her guitar pick out from between the strings at the top and testing that it was tuned. She strummed a few times, up and down to catch the chord both ways. Kathy looked back up. "Like that?"

Molly bit her lip in excitement, nodding her head. She set Chase's guitar on her lap face down, ready to drum out the beat on the back of it. Kathy began the song from the first verse, scratching out some basic, energetic chords for them to use. This time, they sang in unison.

"_Because I'll be there  
>Bringing Ben &amp; Jerry's!<br>And that bad movie  
>That makes us laugh…<em>

_You'll forget  
>All those little kisses<br>'Cus this friend's  
>Got your back…<em>

_I'll show up  
>Wearin' my pajamas<br>We'll rip pictures  
>And light 'em up<em>

_Stay up late  
>Talkin' 'bout how his music sucks!"<em>

Here, Kathy got a little too into it and strongly beat the strings down, down, down until Molly laughed.

"_And all those times  
>He stood you up!<em>

_So this, my friend  
>Is the end<br>Of your love being torn apart  
>Because, my dear<br>I'll be here  
>If he breaks your heart…"<em>

They were in the full swing of it now. Their impromptu jam session had smiles on both of their faces. Kathy continued with the chords, not wanting the song to ever end. Molly hit out a steady, 2/4 beat as she got a little soulful.

"_Ooo, ooo, ooo-ooo…  
>He will break your heart<br>Ooo, ooo, ooo-ooo…  
>I won't let you fall apart…"<em>

As they felt it coming to a close, Kathy strummed between the lyrics, leaving Molly to sing on her own to wrap it up.

"_This, my friend…  
>Is the end<br>Of your love being torn apart…  
>Oh, my dear<br>I'll be here…  
>If he breaks…<br>Your…  
>Heart…"<em>

Kathy clapped the strings, and the room went quiet. The girls shared a meaningful look as they started to feel another cry coming on.

The door opened, and the familiar clink of Tucker's collar caught their attention. They quickly got it together as Chase took a tentative step into the room, sensing something was amiss. "You guys not all sung out yet or something? What's going on?"

Before Kathy could speak up and have her cracking voice betray her, Molly said something first. "Kathy was just teaching me a few chords."

"Oh…" Chase mumbled, taking off his coat. He let Tucker off his leash, and the dog bounded over to meet the girls. "I didn't know you wanted to learn."

"Just messing around," Molly shrugged, sending a sly smile Kathy's way for their secret. Kathy returned with a nod, grateful she was going to keep it quiet.

Chase was almost hit by the door as it swung open again, and he quickly got out of the way as Luna strode in stumbling but looking proud of herself. All eyes were on her as Candace squeezed inside and quietly closed the door behind them.

"Luna? You alright there, hon?" Kathy asked.

Luna guffawed and kicked off her shoes. She stomped to her bed and threw herself across it face first. "I am _so_ druuuuuuunk!"

Molly laughed and leapt onto the bed next to Kathy, throwing her pillow and whacking Luna in the head with it. Luna gasped, scandalized, as her head popped up with her mouth agape. "You. Did. _Not!_"

Being not totally in her right mind, Luna grabbed the nearest thing she thought was a pillow and attempted to throw it – only managing to pull the bedsheet free and swinging it in Molly's general direction. Kathy snorted first, and both Candace and Molly burst into giggles. Luna was left to laugh at herself, and she buried her face in the mattress. Chase just shook his head, trying and failing not to join in but still hiding his smile.

No one could fall asleep right away, each one of them grateful for something they found in Mineral Town. They lay awake thinking about how much they were going to miss it when they had to leave.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

I just realized those last couple of chapters broke the 100,000 word mark. Holy cow! Well, let's look forward to 200,000! Because it's imminent at this rate. n_n

Thanks for the reviews, Dusk Clark, person, Guest, Accidentally The Whole Fanfic, and MikariStar! I'm honestly floored that there's almost a hundred reviews on this story – I definitely don't deserve them! I had no idea that this story was going to go on hiatus for a few months there. The time escapes me, and I apologize for leaving you hanging again. But! That's all in the dust, and I'm happy to move forward with the next big adventure. And a more solid reveal or two this very chapter! THE DRAMA.

Thanks for all of the corrections and support, you guys! And as always, thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three<strong>

* * *

><p>"Won't you eat anything?"<p>

Luna managed a stiff glare, and Candace cowed away from the suggestion. She twisted her napkin in her lap and looked away from her very hungover sister.

"I can… barely talk… without…" her sentence died on her tongue as she swayed in her seat. Luna gripped her head and closed her eyes, waiting for the nausea to pass. She never finished her thought.

Candace looked on in worry and slight indignation from the seat beside her. She pushed her own empty breakfast plate away for Luna's sake and took off her shawl. Candace draped it across her little sister's shoulders, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Maybe you'll learn not to drink more than you can handle…"

"What a dreadful way to start the year," Luna bitterly agreed, gritting her teeth as the scent of fried eggs wafted over from the inn's kitchen. She pinched her nose shut and breathed through her mouth, taking hold of Candace's shawl in gratitude and gripping it tight.

"Morning~!" A familiar voice sang in greeting. A couple pairs of thumping boots made their way to meet them, and Popuri and Mary soon stood before the sisters. Popuri waved again, bundled up with a thick, wool sweater and fuzzy scarf wrapped twice about her neck. "Teehee, Happy New Year! I'm glad you guys are up already – everyone always sleeps all day after the festival."

"Good morning," Candace smiled in return, scooting her chair over closer to Luna's to make room. Mary and Popuri took up chairs for themselves and settled in. "It's already noon though. I think we slept plenty."

"Not enough…" Luna whined, now rubbing her belly.

"Aw, are you sick?" Popuri fussed, leaning across the table to better inspect Luna's queasy pallor. Her expression saddened as she bit her lip. "This is all Karen's fault! She can drink like a horse – I should've warned you."

"No, no, she was very kind…" Candace shook her head, hands held out to refuse the notion. Though it pained her to see Luna feeling so ill, she was getting her just desserts. Quite literally – all Luna ever ate were sweets and alcohol. Consequences were bound to catch up with her on a diet like that.

"I heard it's best to keep hydrated when dealing with a hangover. Would you like me to get you some water?" Mary sweetly offered, one blue mitten to her chin as she worriedly observed the irritable pinkette. Her glasses were slightly fogged from being out in the chilly air.

"Mm…" Luna struggled, her brow twitching as she fought back her churning stomach. She shook her head. Just the idea of swallowing was getting her sick. _She needed to build up a stronger tolerance…_

"Where's the rest of your band, huh? Sleeping in?" Popuri asked with a hint of a teasing note, folding her arms on the table. She kicked her furry boots underneath her chair, clomping them on the floor in rhythm.

The change in subject was welcomed. Candace chuckled in embarrassment. "Actually, they were all up before we were! I know Molly and Chase went to stock up the cart, but I… I haven't seen Kathy around at all."

"You're returning home today, if I'm not mistaken?" Mary tilted her head.

Candace nodded, and Luna's head hit the table in the affirmative. Candace gave her sister a look of dismay before she shrugged to Mary. "As soon as everyone's together… I suppose so."

"Remember, you guys promised to write us, okay? So you better! No take-backsies! You owe us a tour of Harmonica Town," Popuri pointed a warning finger at Candace's nose.

"W-we will!" Candace replied, still intimidated even though she knew Popuri was about as threatening as a petunia.

"I think it'll be fun…" Mary pitched her two cents, tugging her sleeves further down over her wrists. "I've always wanted a pen pal… And maybe if we write about once a week, we could collect all of our letters together and make a book."

"That's such a great idea! It'll be, like, a catalog of all of the stuff we did over the year! And we can make it a New Years' tradition to put it all together! Ooo!" Popuri's excitement got the best of her as she took Mary's arm and began rattling the girl back and forth as she rambled out the plans for the future.

Candace laughed, holding out her hand to the other two girls. Her pinky was sticking out in wait. "It sounds fun… I like it! Let's promise."

"Eee!" Popuri squealed, grabbing Candace's pinky with her own. Mary got her own pinky in, and the three looked at Luna's disheveled head against the table underneath their pact. Luna held up a limp hand, and the girls giggled as they brought their hands to Luna's. They firmly shook, and Popuri fist pumped. "Yay~! This calls for a celebration!"

"No…!" Luna whimpered, curling in on herself.

Popuri chortled at the other girl's dismay at the suggestion. She rolled her eyes like she was scolding May and Stu for upsetting the chickens in the coop again. "With juice, silly! I'm hankering for apple. Oh! Ann! Perfect timing!"

The group turned to follow Popuri's gaze and found the waitress hurrying up to the table, looking quite out of breath. Her long ginger braid was wrapped about her head in a messy bun, and escaped tendrils of hair frizzed out about her ears. There were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep, but Ann's smile was still bright as she greeted the table. "Hey, everyone! Sorry to butt in!"

"Nah, I was just about to go look for ya! What's up, Ann? Another all-nighter because of all the tourists?" Popuri asked, holding her chin up on her fist as she leaned against the table top.

Ann gave her a sheepish smile. "Ah, yeah… always busy the days before and after a big festival like that. But! Candace, Luna – there's a phone call for ya."

"A-a phone call?" Candace was immediately worried. She gave Luna a nudge. "You don't think it's Gramma, do you?"

Ann shook her head, already apologizing for inciting any panic. "Nah, it's over from the Valley! They're calling about Molly & The Animal Parade. Should I tell 'em to buzz off?"

"Someone's calling for you guys? Cool! See, I _told_ you! You're famous already!" Popuri clapped in congratulations. Her lip suddenly pouted as she thought it over. "Then again, it's the Valley… that's even more ho-bunk than here. What could they want with a girl band?"

"I wonder who it could be?" Mary asked, directing the question at Ann. The waitress just hugged her tray and gave her a puzzled shrug of the shoulders. Mineral Town was close enough to the Valley for them to share public amenities, but it was the booniest of the boonies. They rarely had dealings with one another, so it was strange to get word from them, especially about strangers travelling through.

Candace was feeling just about as sick as Luna. A call for the band? It had to be important, so they needed to take it, but there was no way Candace could talk to someone over the phone. She'd flub it up for sure! But how could Luna hold a conversation if she was too sick to keep her head off of the table?! As if to prove it, Luna had been ignoring the goings on around her and brought the shawl up over her head, creating a dark, little den for herself.

Candace's face paled until she looked like a sheet. Pressure on her, she stuttered and frantically looked to the door. "Um! M-Molly should be b-back soon! Any minute! I…!"

"I can probably just ask 'em to call back? Like half an hour?" Ann offered.

Candace took the escape, bobbing her head in thanks. "Yes! Th-thank you!"

Ann gave her a thumbs up and jogged back to the counter where the phone was waiting. Candace watched as she picked up the receiver and shook her head, speaking animatedly to the person on the other end of the line. Candace took an easier breath as Ann hung up the phone and took up her wet rag to wipe down the bar.

"Hm. Sounds mysterious! I hope Molly comes back soon, so we can see who it is!" Popuri smiled, giving Candace's arm a supportive pat. The girls could see how frazzled Candace was and were given a view of just how shy she could be under stress. They were glad she wasn't so openly scared of them, even though they had just met.

Mary quickly agreed, though she looked more skeptical. "Maybe they're asking if you're a travelling act? Perhaps someone wants to book you to play for them."

"I… I don't know…" Candace mumbled. She hadn't considered the possibility of anything after Mineral Town. It was wild enough that they were sitting at the inn with new friends, having played for so many strangers on New Year's. It was only just now beginning to sink in for her that people were liking them. A lot. Enough to _pay_ them. It was utterly surreal.

They could hear the phone ring from across the room. The three girls snapped their attention to it where Ann picked it up again. She gave their table another shrug, covering the mouthpiece as she mouthed to them 'they want your band.' Candace quickly shook her head, and Ann repeated the motion with an airy apology to the stranger. Her expression soured, and she was more insistent as she hung up the phone. Not two seconds passed before it began to ring again.

"Jeez! More famous than I thought!" Popuri chuckled.

* * *

><p>Molly waved again one last time before turning on her heel and running to catch up to Chase down the path. He waited for her with two paper bags laden with fruits and veggies in his arms and a bored expression on his face. But Molly was smiling sunnily in contrast on the cloudy grey day, and Tucker was at her side looking much the same.<p>

"That farmer was so sweet! I can't believe all of the yummy food they had for sale; I just couldn't decide," Molly caught her breath, holding a paper bag in her arms as well. With Tucker's leash looped around her wrist, she plucked a juicy yellow and red apple off of the top of her overstuffed bag and took a bite. She happily skipped a step ahead. "So good~! Man, I'm gonna miss this town. Maybe I can keep some seeds and grow my own apples, eh?"

"Hm," Chase hummed to let her know he was listening as he stared down at the path under his feet.

Molly turned her head to hide her troubled frown. She knew he was still thinking about it. It was her fault, really. Bringing up dusty memories that had long been trained to be stored away. She stared at the bite in the otherwise flawlessly round apple and juggled it in her palm. Molly walked closer to him on their slow trek down the road, holding the apple up to his lips. "Here, you've gotta try it! It's really sweet, I promise."

"I don't want your slobbery seconds. Finish what you take yourself," Chase snidely remarked, dodging the fruit as she repeatedly tried to feed him.

"Whaaat? You don't want to try _local produce?_ And here I thought you were a master chef," she slyly goaded.

His glare immediately softened as genuine interest sparked under the stoic surface. Though Chase still cast a suspicious glower her way, he took a bite of the apple she held out for him. She took it back and gave it a munch, looking pretty smug at getting her way. "So? What's the diagnosis?"

"It's good," Chase swallowed with a shrug. "Tastes like an apple."

"Oh, you're no fun. It's obviously the best apple ever, and you already have _at least_ four recipes in mind to put it in," she chirped. Tucker crossed in front of her to smell at the apple in her hand, and she had to untangle the leash with a twirl.

"…Five," he answered, and Molly laughed aloud.

Though things were strained between them, Molly felt it gradually getting better. Plus, she just got Chase to participate in some serious couple eating, so she was walking on sunshine. Even the way he pinned back his hair today was especially precious. Molly wanted him to open up to her more. Just a little bit.

Right as Chase was settling back into the quiet, Molly's clear and happy voice punctured his swirling thoughts yet again. "What was it? That she had? Lymphoma?"

His surprise was evident by how fast he looked her way, snapping into attention with widened eyes. Molly played dumb and focused on finishing her apple and avoiding eye contact. It made Chase wonder if he was particularly easy to read, or if that was just her. He preferred to think that it was the latter. That maybe… Molly could just tell on her own.

"Yeah…" Chase mumbled, eyes darting between his girlfriend and his feet. All of the jargon and medical terminology was coming back to him as easily as memorizing the capitals in grade school. "Hodgkin's lymphoma."

It was Molly's turn to thoughtfully hum in response. Though his answers had been short, she got the feeling if she pressed just a _bit_ further, they'd get to those thoughts nagging at him that he was so desperate to talk out. She tossed her apple core at a bush. "Isn't it good though? Sometimes? If you can remember the good parts…"

His feet slowed and came to a stop. Molly stopped ahead of him and pulled Tucker back to come to a halt as well. "Do you know what that kind of disease does to you? To your mind?"

Molly blinked. Not exactly the route she thought this was taking. She scrunched up her face in embarrassment. "Not… particularly… no."

"It means your immune system is compromised. It means being careless can kill you. You get paranoid," he provided. His voice was stern but not mean. Almost lecturing. "You know what it's like growing up basically bubble wrapped? Everything had to be washed and rewashed, all of the food cooked carefully – the meat well done and flavorless but _safe_. That apple you just up and ate without even thinking about pesticides or herbicides or hell _any_ germs at all—"

Molly looked back at the bush she threw it in like that would give her answers.

"We couldn't afford to do that. Not when a measly cold could be fatal to her," he finished his rant, the paper bags in his arms thoroughly wrung and wrinkled from hugging them so tight.

They had their weaknesses. Their sore spots. Molly wasn't afraid of diseases, of health and wellness like Chase was. And he had his reasons. He watched his mother succumb to pneumonia after years of fighting and the strictest of caution and protocols for prevention. Chase was afraid of the inevitable, of the things that couldn't be seen but could still be fought. Molly's fears resided in the unexpected, the surprises. Things that couldn't be prevented or predicted. The accidents.

Molly hung her head, but she nodded. She dared to prompt him one last time. "I understand… if you'll never forgive me for yesterday."

"I'm not mad at you! I'm… scared for you," Chase had raised his voice, but it fell as he reluctantly muttered the truth on his mind. He strode up to her and kicked her in the ass. "You're an idiot. You don't think things through."

"Hey…!" Molly whined as she used her free hand to rub the spot he hit her – however light it was. She didn't have any defense against his case, but she didn't enjoy being browbeaten either.

Chase persisted, but as his hands were full, he used his head and hit his forehead against her shoulder. He drooped there, letting his face be hidden on her arm. "Think! Think so I don't _have_ to get mad about it later. Just… take care of yourself, alright?"

"I promise!" Molly was about to tease him about all of the vitamins she'd be sure to take and regular exercise and eating her greens and all of that, but she stopped herself watching the top of his head. He said it. Albeit in a rather violent, disgruntled way… but he opened up. Just that little bit. She smiled softer. "I promise… you can count on me. I'm not going anywhere."

He quickly moved away from her, Molly's sincerity startling him into cranky bashfulness. Chase turned the corner towards the inn, leaving her behind. "I never asked for any of that… just be a little more careful, sheesh."

Molly grinned and hurried to fall back into step with him. Tucker pulled ahead of her and barked, but she ignored his hyperactivity. She nudged Chase. "Well, you'll cook all of my food for me, so I'll never have to worry about being poisoned. Unless…"

"Haha," he sarcastically replied. Chase returned her nudge with a stronger shove, making her stumble and gripe at him.

They were properly bickering about the difference between an affectionate nudge and straight up _pushing_ as they neared the door and a person waiting for their return beside it. Bouncing on her feet, the little girl was looking a little frantic until she saw Molly, and she was struck by immense relief. May gnawed on her lip and dashed away from her post to greet her.

"'Scuse me! Um, M-Molly!" She called to get her attention.

Molly and Chase both shut their mouths as they looked on in surprise at the little girl nearly bombarding them. She stopped a good deal ahead and nervously eyed Tucker as the Pyrenees barked and panted and leapt her way against his leash.

"Tucker, down! Will you…?! May's trying to talk to me!" Molly scolded her dog, reeling him in by winding the leash tighter and tighter around her arm. She held him close to her side so May could take a few tentative steps towards her. "So rude… Hello, May! What's up?"

May was wearing jeans and a light jacket, looking like a proper little farmer girl. Her hair was in a low, loose ponytail that was threatening to slip out with a lopsided bow clipped at the base. She held her hand out and shyly greeted Tucker first, glad to see the dog had just remembered her and wanted to say hi and wasn't being hostile. After she scratched his head, she held the paper in her other hand to her chest and looked up at Molly. "Hi! I… uh… was just…"

"Whatcha got there?" Molly asked, seeing she needed some help getting the words out.

May was glad Chase was hanging back a bit because she was timid enough as it was just addressing Molly all on her own. She looked at the page in her hands and stared at it, looking at the details that were never perfected and the lines she wanted to change but no longer had time for. "I! Um, thank you! F-for singing for everyone! You… uh… really cool!"

"Cool? That's a stretch," Chase said under his breath.

"That tears it – you're sleeping with Tucker tonight," Molly pursed her lips in annoyance. She cheerily turned back to May. "Thank you! It means so much to me that you liked it. You helped me write a brand new song, after all. I owe ya one!"

May's face brightened, and she looked down one more time with more confidence. She presented the paper to Molly with both arms stuck straight out. "For you! Y-you don't have to keep it or anything. You can throw it away if—"

"Wow!" Molly's smile lit up like a 100watt lightbulb as she unceremoniously dropped her groceries at her feet and took May's drawing. Drawn with colored pencils was a wispy thin sketch of the four girls. Like May was afraid of marring the paper, Molly had to squint to see the details drawn so lightly on the notebook page. There was a plain, circular face with different, happy expressions for each girl. Kathy drawn in yellow, Luna in pink, Candace in blue, and Molly in brown. They all had their animal ears, and random music notes and a particularly intricate treble clef surrounded the corners of the otherwise empty paper.

May was watching Molly's face, studying it and waiting for any traces of criticism or dislike. But Molly's smile only got impossibly wider as she looked back at May. "This is so good, May! Seriously! It's the cutest! Can I show the others?"

"Oh, uh… sure! If y-you want…! I mean!" May floundered, scratching her red nose.

"Do you see this, Chase?! Look how cute we are!" Molly held the drawing out for Chase to get a good look, too.

He wasn't as flowery with his praise as Molly was, but he nodded in appreciation. "Yeah, it's really good…" he snorted, trying to point despite the bags in his arms, "I've never seen Luna that happy."

"And look at the little blushies on Candace's face, oh my goodness~" Molly baby-talked at the little drawing of her friend.

"I wasn't sure about how to draw the ears, but…" May tried to explain her scribbles with a sense of bubbling hope.

"I _love_ them. I think you've got an honorary pair of bunny ears yourself, kiddo," Molly ruffled the top of May's hair with a grin. She beckoned her head towards the inn, lifting up her discarded bag. "Come on, what are we waiting for? You wanna come, too, May? Art this good deserves ice cream!"

"Really? Okay! Th-thank you!" May bobbed her head in excitement. She ran to the door and held it open, hiding partially behind it as Molly, Chase, and Tucker passed through first.

The door didn't even shut before Candace had shot up from her chair and was upon them. Startled, Molly barely had time to contemplate her urgency as the groceries were forcibly taken from her. "Allow me! There's a phone call for you!"

"Eh?" Molly asked, looking over at the table full of girls for an explanation.

Popuri giggled and pointed at the counter. "Candace has been so antsy for the past ten minutes! Ann needs ya, Molly."

"Phone's been off the hook!" Doug called from the bar after he spotted the newcomers. He waved a hand at the now trilling phone to prove it.

"Make it stoooop!" Luna groaned, huddled underneath Candace's shawl and holding her hands over her ears.

"For who? Me?" Molly asked, still dumbfounded as Chase set down the groceries on the table and took Tucker from her.

"All of you!" Popuri said. Behind her, Doug answered the phone as Ann served a table their lunch. He looked to Molly and waved her over.

"Everyone's asking about Molly & The Animal Parade," Mary provided the first clarification.

"Oh… Jee!" Molly jumped into gear, rushing towards the counter and fumbling at where to go. She awkwardly walked around behind it where Doug was standing, and he passed the phone off to her as she mumbled a quick apology. She was about to hold up the receiver when she remembered and caught Doug by the arm. "Oh, real quick! Could you get a great, big bowl of ice cream for May? It's on me!"

"Sure thing," Doug chuckled, heading to the freezer to fill the request.

"Ooo, ice cream? Sounds good!" Popuri sighed, patting her love handles sadly.

"You should try to stick to your resolutions for at least a day, Popuri…" Mary couldn't help but giggle at her distressed friend. She knew giving up fattening sweets wasn't going to last long, but Mary had a little more faith than just a few hours.

"Oh, yeah, you guys should see this – May drew it," Chase took the paper that was left with Molly's grocery bag and tossed it out onto the table.

May wrung her hands as the girls peered over it, even Luna emerging curiously from her hiding hood for a peek. They erupted into squeals at almost the same time, both Popuri and Luna vying for control of the paper. Popuri won since she wasn't pathetically hungover, and she picked it up and held it closer to the light. "Wow, May! This is so super perfect!"

"You're a great artist," Mary complimented, holding her glasses steady as she analyzed the simple but adorable work.

"Thanks…" May blushed happily at everyone's support.

"Give it here – that's my face you're ogling. I wanna see!" Luna snatched the paper back with surprisingly fast reflexes and glared at it. Her brow raised as she eyed the four girls drawn in colored pencil. "Huh… would ya look at that. She got Kathy's ossicones down pat."

"Her _what?"_ Chase asked, now hovering behind her to see, too.

"You know those…" Luna gestured above her head like that would explain everything.

"The stubby antlers," Candace tried her hand at miming them above her own head.

Chase huffed. "Huh. There's a name for everything."

"Where _is_ Kathy anyways?" Luna asked, suddenly looking around the group like the blonde would pop up and sing 'surprise!' Those around Luna did the same, wondering how they had missed her for so long.

Across town, the missing girl in question was hanging up the phone and scratching her head with a hearty sigh. She went back to the front desk and leaned against it. "That was a nope. But! It's not gonna cost a fortune. We're lucky you guys are so reasonable."

Elli sympathetically frowned in worry as she neatly stacked the papers and stapled them. "Are you sure you don't want to contact the agency directly? I'm sure they could make an exception."

Kathy shook her head and straightened up. "Nah, Papa said it's okay. We can pay it. Don't feel like it's your fault either. Insurance doesn't cover our own stupidity. It's not supposed to."

The nurse couldn't help but laugh at the girl's easygoing demeanor. She tucked her hair behind her ear and pushed forward a single sheet. "If you're sure, then please initial here. We'll mail the statement to the address cited… here. Is it correct?"

"It's a bar, yeah. But that's the old homestead," Kathy smiled, signing the paper and clicking the pen. Medical bills and insurance plans were not her forte, but she could handle the technical stuff better than Molly. That girl probably didn't even know where the deed to her own house was let alone the number to call for health insurance. Things got easier though when they had Hayden managing accounts for them.

"Sounds fun! Sort of like our Doug and Ann, hm?" Elli smiled, taking the papers back and organizing them. She took the necessary ones from the pile and got them together. "I'll go ahead and make copies of these for you to take, but we'll have to keep a record here. Is that okay?"

"Oh, sure, of course. Do your job – don't mind me," Kathy waved her off.

Elli bowed her head and hurried off to the back. Kathy heard her boot up a noisy copy machine, and she let out another tired sigh. She meandered towards the window as she waited, looking out at the solid mass of clouds overhead that were like an umbrella from the spring sunshine. She wondered if it was cloudy at home, too. The sea would be roiling, and the seagulls would be restless and cawing, but they'd be making their nests above the door to the bar in that cranny on the corner. Kathy smiled at that, feeling nostalgic. Footsteps coming from the office emerged on the main floor, and she turned away from her stuffy reminisces out the window to see who it was.

"Tying up the loose ends?" Dr. Trent asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yeah, well, you guys aren't free," Kathy teased with a smirk of her own.

"How is your friend? No further incidents?" He stopped at the front desk and leaned his back against it, crossing his arms.

"Nope! She's completely boring again, thanks," Kathy joked, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Her lackadaisical air diminished as her smile faded, and she nodded with more gravity. "Seriously… thank you. You've done a lot for the both of us."

Trent listened to the copier shudder in protest, and Elli cursed under her breath. That brought a fond smile to his lips, but he tapped his shoe against the tile. "I think… I remember you."

Suddenly on her guard, Kathy gave him a baffled, skeptical once over. She had frozen where she stood by the door next to a well-cared for, potted fern.

"I didn't get it until I heard your father's name. Hayden," he said. He looked at her curiously, expecting he was walking on thin ice. "_Your_ father?"

So he was older than he looked. Kathy clicked her tongue. She nodded in affirmation. "Yeah… my dad."

"I don't mean to sound cryptic or too nosey, but… when you said she was your sister…?"

"Look at you! Dr. Detective now," Kathy chuckled. Her eyes went back to the window, but she wasn't really looking out. Not seeing anything. Eyes focused somewhere along the pane. "Legally, yeah. Molly and I are sisters. We weren't quite eighteen, and Papa didn't want to see anything else happen. We took her in. I thought it would be harder, and I know it was hell on town hall, but the mayor pulled some strings… and just a few initials later, and we share an insurance plan. Here we are."

Trent grinned at that. But his smile was tired and a little sad. "Ah… I never knew what happened. I admit that eases my mind somewhat to finally hear that you all ended up somewhere together. Some closure… you could say."

"You could say that," Kathy agreed.

Elli was just walking out, feeling like the atmosphere called for her intervention at long last. She brightly held up her copies for Kathy and put them in a manila folder. "Here we are! All set!"

Kathy didn't bother hosting formalities for Elli's sake. She walked up and took the folder, but she narrowed her eyes at Trent. "But how did you know about Papa? His name? That stuff was kept quiet. Or so I was told."

Elli, too, looked to Trent to see how he'd respond. The doctor stood up straight, his friendly, conversational smile ever present. "My late father was a doctor as well. You'd know him as Tim."

Her mouth formed a disbelieving 'o' as her jaw dropped and recognition sparked in her eyes. Kathy tapped the folder on her open palm. "…I should've seen that. I had no idea he passed; I'm truly sorry."

"Condolences all around," Trent said with an appreciative dip of his head.

"Well…! Learn something new every day. It's good to see you. And thanks for all of the help, you two. I'm sure we'll be back in town again someday, so we'll hit ya up – not checkin' in, hopefully," Kathy abruptly ended the dour conversation with a spritely farewell, spinning on her boot and sending a peppy salute their way.

"You have fun being a giraffe," Trent called after her as Elli waved beside him.

"You let that die!" Kathy warned, her face turning a red hue in a mixture of humiliation and aggravation. She pulled the door shut behind her, listening to the practitioners laugh at her expense.


End file.
